The Blonde Uchiha
by G3rMan
Summary: The village is on the brink of civil war and Itachi is ordered into the unthinkable.  He persuades the council to leave his mother and sister alone, but he also secures a future for a little boy.  Will Naruto be able to heal the Uchiha? NaruxFemSasuxMiko
1. The Death and Birth of Uchiha

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 1

The Death and Birth of Uchiha.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'_

_thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are age 7 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 27. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** The Uchiha Clan Massacre occurred when Sasuki is in the academy still, five years prior to Part 1 of the series.

**Personality Warning:** The thing I like about changing Sasuke's gender is that it makes it possible for him to become a very caring person, his girl version can either be seen as having the same personality or she can be sweet and caring like Mikoto. In this story, Sasuki will be nice to Naruto, even when they are around the other kids, she isn't afraid of her friendship with him.

I'm re-uploading this because I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet. Don't expect anything from me yet, just think of this as publicity and a show of faith I'm alive. Also, I'm thinking of redoing some parts of _Namikaze's Homecoming_ and re-uploading it too, if it seems like a good idea I'll do it.

I apologize for those readers who have already read and reviewed this chapter and I understand that you do not wish to repeat yourselves. For new readers though, I'd appreciate a short (or long) review of the chapter from your eyes and what you think might happen next. It actually helps me want to write and figure out the next chapter, believe it or not.

Also no flaming please, there is a line between critique and flame but I don't count disagreeing with the way I change Naruto and its plot a critique because every story changes something about Naruto, it makes it unique.

On with the show! Or rerun, whatever you want to call it.

000

_Uchiha Compound, _

_Day of the Massacre_

"SASUKI! It's time for school!" A mother called for her young daughter to come downstairs and go to school, the Ninja Academy of Konoha.

The woman's name was Mikoto Uchiha, and she was a Jonin of the Hidden Leaf. As her last name suggested, she was indeed a member of the elite clan of the Uchiha.

Made famous by the Sharingan eye that could manifest from the blood of the clan members, the Uchiha were a powerful addition to Konoha's populace. Lately though, Mikoto has noticed that the clan had been segregated and shut out of more and more dealings that had to do with the village, and it concerned her.

_'Then there is Itachi, he has been acting so strangely. I hope Fugaku is wrong in his assumptions but there is no way to be sure..'_

At that point, a small girl came running down the stairs with her school bag. Her long blue hair swayed behind her back with its long length. Her bangs went all the way down to her chin on either side of her cheeks and her onyx eyes were full of life and happiness.

Sasuki was still in a good mood over her father's actions recently. He had given her a test to see if she had matured enough to become a true Uchiha, and she had passed!

She had learned the Fireball technique in just one week, something her father had been genuinely impressed by. Her mother even told her that they always talk about how well she has been doing when they are alone, she was finally getting acknowledgment over Itachi!

"Hey mom! I'm going to school, I'll be home a little late since I plan on training after school!" Mikoto just smiled at her daughter, giving a lunch bag to Sasuki as she ran out the door, waving goodbye.

Mikoto lost her smile once her daughter was out of sight, a bad feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. She eyed Itachi's room from the kitchen, a suspicious glare settled on her features and the fully matured, three-tomoed sharingan eyes manifested from her onyx orbs.

"Mother, is something wrong?" Mikoto's eyes widened and she canceled the Sharingan, turning to her side to face Itachi, her son.

He was looking at her with what appeared to be genuine confusion, and she felt a bit embarrassed over her emotions. Even if he was a suspicious and an introverted person, he was still her son, and she smiled at Itachi.

"No, nothing is wrong Itachi. I was just thinking about something a bit too much, that's all." Itachi kept his eyes on her for a second before shrugging and walking outside, heading towards the Uchiha training grounds.

"I'm going out to train, goodbye mother." Mikoto eyed him as he left, her feeling of anxiety more intense than ever now that he was in the room.

"Alright Itachi, don't overwork yourself." And with that, the door was shut and Mikoto heaved out a sigh, the day was weighing down on her nerves.

_'Fugaku..hurry home.'_

000

_Konoha_

_Ninja Academy_

Sasuki entered the Ninja academy, a big smile on her face today as she wore the Uchiha crest proudly on the back of her blue shirt. It was a simple blue shirt with the Uchiha high collar, but to her, it was a source of pride in her clan and her future as a ninja. Her pants were just white shorts, reaching down to her knees and of course her blue sandals. All the outfits she wore her mother had picked up for her.

_'I'm going to make mother and father proud, I swear!'_

She entered Iruka-sensei's classroom just as he was beginning to teach, she gave a shy smile to him and walked to her desk, a few boys blushing a bit. Sasuki was a source of beauty and admiration for the girls and a beauty and crush to all the boys of her class, and they envied not only her beauty but smarts as well.

"Alright class, today, I am going to welcome a new student. He has been..transferred from a different class, his name is.." Iruka looked down at his clipboard. "Naruto Uzumaki!"

Sasuki was curious, she turned towards the door and saw a blonde boy enter with a bright smile, not nervous or shy at all. He had three whisker marks on either cheek and wore a simple black shirt with an orange spiral on it. His black shorts reached his knees and his scuffed black sandals had dirt all over them from running to get to the Academy.

"Hey everybody! The name's Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet you!" Iruka pleasantly smiled and watched the other kids' reactions to his arrival.

Most did not seem too interested like Kiba Inuzuka or Shino Aburami. A few of the older kids were glaring at him, something that not even Iruka had expected. Two girls struck Iruka as being interested, even in the slightest by the blonde arrival.

Hinata Hyuuga blushed at his presence and bumped her two pointer fingers together nervously. Iruka smiled at how easy it was for children to have a crush; he looked at Naruto to see if he noticed. The boy apparently didn't notice at all as he just stood there at the door, smiling as big as he could.

The other girl Iruka had spied was none other than Sasuki Uchiha. Contrary to the other boys within her class, it appeared Naruto had something they didn't. Not to say she was blushing like the shy Hyuuga, but her eyes did not seem to want to leave him.

"Alright Naruto, let's find you a seat." Everyone began to scramble around, either trying to stop the Uzumaki from sitting by them or trying to make room.

Iruka just shook his head at their silly antics and waited for them to be done. Upon the end of the sudden 'musical chair' game, Iruka saw about what he had expected to see. The only seat available was right next to Sasuki, he chuckled a bit. The girl just glared at any boy who would try and sit with her and they didn't want to risk her wrath.

"Naruto, how about you sit next to Sasuki. I'm sure you both will get along just fine." Naruto turned to the teacher in surprise and then looked up at the girl he was supposed to sit by.

She was eying him curiously, as if he was the prey and she the predator. Naruto gulped, he had no experience talking with a girl so he wasn't feeling so confident. He walked up the steps, ignoring the glares he received from the boys of the class; they were nothing like the glares he received from the adults.

_'They are only angry at me because I'm sitting next to a cute girl. The adults hate me, plain and simple.'_

Sasuki watched as the new boy sat down and smiled at him, a gesture not lost on the blonde.

"Hello, my name is Sasuki Uchiha. I hope we get along just fine!" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise before he too gained a smile.

"Yeah..I hope so too." Iruka waited for the boy to get settled in before he began to teach the class on a lesson on the past Hokage.

"Alright class, today we are going to learn a little history." A resounding sigh echoed around the room as Iruka said 'history', making him realize how much they found it boring. "Now now, history is important! Just think, if we didn't care about history, we wouldn't have any jutsu written down from the past, then where would the Leaf Village be?" The class quieted down after that, allowing Iruka to begin.

Sasuki, as a bright young student, took out a piece of paper and a pencil and began to write down the names of the Hokage as Iruka did on the board. She cleanly labeled each one and when they became Hokage through time periods and detailed their basic jutsu and specialties. Looking over to see what Naruto had written, she was surprised to find him with his head down and lightly snoring.

It was soon apparent to the girl that Naruto wasn't exactly a hard worker. She zoned back into Iruka teaching and looked back at her paper to check her writing so far.

_The Four Hokage_

_Shodai:_

_Hashirama Senju_

_Reign: Foundation of Konoha to First Shinobi World War_

_Specialties: Mokuton, Tailed Beast Control, Charisma_

_After heavy negotiations between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama, he was able to create Konoha using his special abilities. It was the Shodai that installed the initial shinobi system and created the foundations that would later make up modern Konoha. It was also due to Hashirama that the tailed beasts were taken under control and peace was spread for a time due to his negotiations._

_Nidaime:_

_Tobirama Senju_

_Reign: First Shinobi War_

_Specialties: Suiton, Kenjutsu, Edo Tensei, Jikukan jutsu_

_Facts: During his short reign, Tobirama Senju created and solidified many important institiutions within Konoha. Under his order the ANBU black ops were formed, the Academy was refined and rebuilt, the Chunin Exams were invented, and the Konoha Military Police Force was created as a sign of trust to Uchiha._

Sasuki had underlined the Police Force as it made her think of her father, the leader of the organization. It was a source of pride for young Uchiha to strive to become a member, but she had noticed that the adults did not have as much enthusiasm about it. It was strange, but there wasn't much for Sasuki to find that they could hate about the organization.

_Sandaime:_

_Hiruzen Sarutobi; The Professor_

_Reign: First Shinobi World War to End of Third Shinobi World War; Took Hokage seat back upon the death of Yondaime directly after Kyuubi Attack._

_Specialties: Knowledge of Jutsu, Summoning,Leadership abilities._

_Facts: After being elected to Hokage by the Nidaime's last wish, Hiruzen took up the title and quickly quelled the First World War through negotiations. Maintaining what the previous kage had done to make Konoha great, Hiruzen made smaller, subtle changes to the organization of the military. After training the Three Legendary Sannin, Sarutobi led Konoha through the Second World War and brought peace at a strong price. His reign was marred by war even with his pacifistic nature and also it led to the betrayal of Orochimaru, his prizes student. Upon the end of the Third Shinobi War, Hiruzen gave his title up to Minato Namikaze as his age grew. After the latter's unexpected death, Hiruzen again took up the title of Hokage and still holds it._

_Yondaime:_

_Minato Namikaze; Konoha's Yellow Flash_

_Reign: Third Shinobi World War Aftermath to Kyuubi's Attack on Konoha._

_Specialties: Jikukan; Hiraishin, Natural Speed, Ninjutsu Creation, Summoning._

_Facts: Upon the end of the Third Shinobi World War, due to his growing age and Minato's great show of strength and valor during the war, Hiruzen stepped down and gave him the title. Few changes were made during his short reign, however, peace was absolute. During Kyuubi's attack, he sacrificed himself to halt the beast and saved Konoha._

"Alright, did everyone get that down?" Iruka checked on the class to find most of them still writing; his eyes caught onto Sasuki to find that she was already done.

His eyes then moved to Naruto and he frowned to see him sleeping. Sasuki caught Iruka's eye movements and suddenly felt bad for Naruto, even if it was his fault. With a sharp kick to his leg, Naruto was awoken and just in time for Iruka to yell at him.

"Naruto! Since you already seem to know all of this information already because you don't need notes, please, tell the class about the seat of Hokage and what it means to the village." Naruto's blue eyes widened in surprise and he looked around to see all the kids staring at him.

Grumbling something incoherent, Naruto stood up from his chair and began to speak loudly. The Uchiha girl was amazed he wasn't frightened at all by the teacher or the other students, he was fine. It was then Sasuki realized that what Naruto didn't have in smarts he had plenty in determination and confidence; it made her actually feel a little envious.

_'What am I saying? My father respects only those with knowledge and power, I have to be like that if I want him to approve..but still. It is pretty cool that Naruto can do that so easily.'_

"The Hokage, he's the strongest ninja in the whole village! Everybody looks at him and respects him, they know what he's done and who he is. He protects us all and show's Konoha's strength to all the other villages! That's why.." Naruto looked down at the floor a moment to steady himself, he tightened his fists up. "I WANT TO BE THE GREATEST HOKAGE!"

His outburst was met with silence for a few long moments, the class was surprised by his answer. Iruka at first hadn't really taken the boy seriously, but he was glad to see the kid had some dreams after all. The class began to laugh out loud, save for a few who either didn't care or looked at Naruto with pity that his dreams wouldn't come true. Sasuki didn't laugh, but she was too surprised by his response to say anything.

Naruto just sat back down and looked at his desk, ignoring the response he had expected from the others. Even if no one believed in him, he would find a way to become Hokage, he would make people see him and respect him. It made him sad to think that so many didn't care about his dream, but he knew that someday he would show them all who he really was and what he could do.

_'I'll show them..I'll become the greatest Hokage.'_ Naruto thought as he waited for Iruka to calm the class and continue with the lesson.

"Quiet down!" Iruka waited for them to stop laughing before he turned to Naruto. "Thank you Naruto, your answer was right and your goal..is admirable. Just try to pay a little more attention next time to the lesson and I won't have to call on you, alright?" The blonde boy just nodded a little and Iruka sighed in acceptance.

"Alright, now let's continue with the lesson." Iruka began to speak again as he wrote words onto the board from the textbook and the children listened.

Sasuki still couldn't take her eyes off of Naruto, he fascinated her. He was different from the other boys and girls she had met, there was something about him that just..made her want to know him better. It radiated from him, from his bright smile and welcoming demeanor to just the way he spoke with confidence.

Sasuki wanted to get to know Naruto better, and she hoped she would get the chance to in the future.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage's Home_

_Meeting Room_

"We can't do this, it isn't right!"

"We have run out of time and you know it Sarutobi. This must be done so that Konoha can avert civil war."

"Yes Hiruzen, have you already forgotten the Kyuubi Attack? Do you remember what it cost us? I would rather not experience it again."

"But he's just a boy, we can't place such a traumatizing burden on his shoulders. Give me more time to speak with Fugaku, we can't do this to him."

"It's alright Hokage-sama, I'll do it." Hiruzen snapped his head back towards the so far quiet Itachi Uchiha; the elders had been arguing with him about what to do with the Uchiha while the boy just watched.

"But Itachi..you can't really mean it!" Itachi looked at Hiruzen with his usual neutral view, but inside he could tell the boy was shaking at what the consequences were.

"No, I understand why this must be done. I've been feeding you information to keep the peace, but my father wishes to escalate things to open conflict. I don't want that to happen..so I will do what I must to save Konoha." Clapping was heard and all four occupants of the room looked to see Danzo enter the room with a smile on his face; Itachi instinctively cringed and Hiruzen frowned at the sight of his old comrade.

"What do you want Danzo? This is a private meeting between myself and Itachi, you shouldn't be here." The man took up a spot leaning on the wall nearby Itachi, just looking at the assembled group.

"I was here as one of Itachi's superior officers within ANBU, I wanted to speak with him on a similar subject to this. It seems as though the elders have already done it for me though, they share my views. The Uchiha cannot be trusted Sarutobi, you must realize that. Itachi is in a perfect position to do this mission, but he must not remain in Konoha afterward, he will have to leave." Itachi looked at the man and then back at Hiruzen.

"I already have a plan for when I have to leave, I will still protect Konoha even after my departure. I only have two requests to make and I also would like to ask that the elders leave for the second one, I wish only to speak with the Hokage of it." Hiruzen was intrigued by the offer while the other three frowned at the boy as he made such demands.

"As members of the Hokage's council, we will not sit out of such an impo-" Homura was stopped mid sentence by Hiruzen's raised hand and a silent glare sent towards him.

"You will respect this boy's wishes, he is doing _your_ dirty work, the least you can do is allow his requests to be heard the way he wishes." Homura growled and sat back, impatiently gazing at Itachi for him to begin.

"Well child? Begin with your requests!" Koharu demanded, also tired of all the business surrounding the Uchiha.

"I wish for permission to allow my sister, Sasuki Uchiha to live. I also ask that I be allowed, in connection with allowing my sister to live, allowing my mother to live as well." Hiruzen's eyes widened and the councilors on either side of him gritted their teeth and glared at Itachi.

"No! Not a single one must be left if we wish to avoid war!"

"How can you say you are willing to destroy your entire family when you wish to spare those two!"

"Quiet!" Hiruzen demanded from the bickering elders, leading him to have a chance to speak with Itachi. "Go ahead Itachi, I want an explanation as to why you want those two to live." Silently Hiruzen was smirking in his mind, he was glad to hear Itachi was willing to spare those close to him.

"You see, I love my younger sister just as any brother would. She is too young to die now when she has so much potential..and" Itachi paused for a moment to steady himself, a previously unheard of emotion began to creep onto his neutral face. "her life means more to me than even this village. I don't care if she hates me for the rest of her life for what I'll do, but if she stays alive, it will be enough for me." Hiruzen was touched to hear how much the cold Uchiha really did care for his sister while on the other hand the councilors were angered that he really would allow her to live.

"And? Why should we allow your mother to live when she will just rise to matriarch status of the Uchiha?" Itachi glared at Danzo for his question as he said it with a foreshadowing tone.

"My mother doesn't have the influence nor the will to instigate a second rebellion, nor would she be able to if the other Uchiha are dead. My real reason of keeping her alive is my sister." The elder shinobi were surprised at this, did everything relate back to Sasuki? "If my sister idolizes my father and sees me as a rival, she truly loves my mother more than anything. If I was to take Mikoto away from her..she would be broken inside." Sarutobi concurred with this, the girl most likely felt more love and favor from her mother than Fugaku and it would make a larger impact if he were to kill Mikoto.

"I see..and seeing as how you didn't have to ask for permission to do this, you want something to go along with this?" Itachi nodded to Hiruzen's question, he had indeed brought it up at the meeting for a specific reason.

"Yes, I want you to promise me you'll protect them. I know you elders, I know that you will try and manipulate my mother and sister into propagating the clan into loyal sharingan users." Koharu and Homura recoiled slightly as the boy hit the nail right on the head; Danzo made no obvious move to show surprise. "I can only trust you with this Hokage-sama, keep them safe from influence and let them live the life they choose. Otherwise..I will reveal what has happened to Konoha and the world, bringing all three of you to fraud."

Hiruzen made a puff of smoke on his pipe as he thought it over. Really there was no thinking involved, but to keep a strong facade to the elders, he had to seem as though he wasn't taking sides. In truth he was happy that Itachi had chosen to spare a few of his family, no matter what the reasons for doing so were. He understood Itachi just as Itachi understood him, both were pacifists at heart and wanted no bloodshed to come to them.

_'In a way though this boy is stronger than I am, willing to soak his hands in blood to keep the peace. Even if he must take the blame alone..even I have not been able to do that.'_

"I accept your terms, Mikoto and Sasuki will not be ordered into doing anything they don't wish to and will be under my protection. Now then..I think it is time you three leave us."

Koharu and Homura glared at the Hokage before getting up and shuffling away. Danzo cast a lingering gaze on the two before joining the elders in leaving. Itachi's enhanced hearing picked up Danzo's final words to him and he smirked to himself.

"_Damn stubborn youth."_

Hiruzen sighed as a weight fell of his shoulders and waited to hear Itachi's second request. Itachi had been thinking about this one since he had decided he would take on the responsibility of taking care of the clan. The only reason he had accepted it though was because Mikoto would survive, she would be a perfect choice.

"This isn't necessarily a request, Sarutobi. I wanted to alert you that I will be taking care of Naruto-kun's well being from the time this meeting is over to the time I depart from the village." Hiruzen didn't make to show surprise, Itachi had grown quite attached to the boy after watching him as a silent guardian in ANBU.

"I see..and just what do you plan on doing with Naruto during that time?" Itachi stood up from his seat and began to walk towards the door, sparing a single glance back at Hiruzen.

"You will come to find this decision was for everyone's best interest, Hokage. I am going to redeem my family..and give Naruto a place he can call home."

000

_Konohagakure_

_Academy_

_Sunset_

"Alright class, that's it for today! Tomorrow we'll begin with our basic kunai and shuriken lessons!" A resounding cheer revolved around the class as they finally got to use weapons; Naruto was smiling like an idiot and Sasuki was glad to know she had experience before any of the other kids.

As the kids began to file out, Sasuki watched as Naruto seemed to wait for her to get up before he did as well. The two began to walk out of school together and then finally Sasuki decided to break the silence.

"Why are you following me?" Naruto was walking alongside her with his hands behind his head and a small smile gracing his features; Sasuki had her hands in her pockets and was waiting for his answer.

"Well..you were nice to me today so I thought I'd walk you you home!" She was surprised by his simple reasoning and giggled a bit.

"Are you sure you want to hang around me? Not everyone exactly likes the Uchiha.." Sasuki noticed Naruto's face dip down for a second and saw him frowning.

"Yeah well..not very many people like me either.." She frowned at his response as she had honestly heard quite a lot about a troublesome blonde kid but until that day she hadn't met him before.

"Hey..you want to see something really cool? It has to do with kunai and target practice!" Naruto looked up at her smiling face and blushed a little bit; she was trying to be nice and change the subject.

_'Wow..I don't think I've ever talked to someone for this long before. She's really..'_ Naruto couldn't think of a word to describe the blue haired girl except, pretty.

"Uh yeah, that sounds fun!" Naruto smiled, trying to take his mind off of what he was thinking.

Sasuki led him into some woods that were off the beaten trail within Konoha. He hadn't been around the neighborhood before so he could only guess they were close to Sasuki's home. He found a small stump or hill surrounded by wooden targets hanging on the nearby trees. The mound looked worn and dirty, indicating it had been used many times with the same action.

Curious, Naruto watched as Sasuki stood up on the mound and closed her eyes for a moment to find balance. Suddenly, she jumped up into the air and with speed that made Naruto think they appeared out of thin air, kunai were within her hands in a second and she began to twist in the air. Each throw or flick of the hand meant a target had been hit, and Naruto was mesmerized not only by the show of skill but by the girl doing it. Just as she prepared to launch the last one, she had run out of air time and missed it by a few inches, falling onto her back.

"Damn! I almost had it!" Naruto looked to see her on the ground, beating her fist into the dirt and crying tears of sadness.

_'Why is she crying? What is so bad about missing one target?'_

"Hey Sasuki..what's wrong?" She looked up at him and glared, finding him to be more of a buffoon then she originally thought.

"Don't you get it? I'm an Uchiha, the village elite! If I can't even get something simple like that right..then my father.." She broke into more tears and Naruto felt himself begin to move against his will to her side.

Placing a hand on her cheek, he brushed away the dirt and grime mixed with tears from her pristine face. Sasuki was frozen, no one had ever touched her so gently, other than her mother. His smile meant that she couldn't bring herself to bat his hand away, instead she leaned into it for comfort.

"Everybody makes mistakes, even an Uchiha. The most important part is that you are practicing, its better than doing nothing at all..and besides.." Sasuki could tell her face was reddening as he continued to speak comforting words, even if he himself didn't notice. "I thought that you looked really cool! I could never do any of that stuff!"

"Naruto..." Sasuki couldn't say anything else, nothing came to mind except two words.

_'Thank you.'_

With speed that once again surprised Naruto, the red girl suddenly got up and sped off for what he figured was the direction of her home. Naruto frowned and scratched the back of his head, wondering if he did something wrong. With a final shrug, he decided he would find out tomorrow at school and began to make his way to his own apartment.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

Sasuki soon reached the gates of her home, the Uchiha compound. Taking a few steadying breathes at the gate, she thought over why she ran away so suddenly. Whether it was her stubborn pride or the feeling of awkwardness between the boy and her, she couldn't stay there any longer. The thought of facing him at school was dreadful but at the same time the feeling of wanting to learn more about him still existed within her.

_'I'll worry about it later, right now I just want to get home.'_

Opening the gate, she was surprised to find the streets were barren. Not a single person was out, a strange phenomenon considering what time of day it was. Not even any of the children were in the streets, their laughter was always welcoming when Sasuki would come home. Considering the circumstances and how drastic they changed, the quiet frightened Sasuki.

Closing the gate behind her, she began to run towards her own home. Maybe a meeting was being held? Or maybe there was still some event keeping the adults in Konoha and the children were at home. As Sasuki made to turn on a new street that would lead her home, she made another, more revealing discovery.

Broken doors, shattered glass, and red blood stained the ground of this new street. No bodies were revealed, but Sasuki knew that something was horribly wrong. With a sense of urgency in her heart, she sped down the street to her home, hoping that nothing had happened to her mother and father.

_'No..this can't be happening..this isn't happening..'_

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

_Fugaku's Residence_

Fugaku and Mikoto were sitting in the family room, quietly enjoying some tea. He had come home early from work at the Police Station as he had planned to have another family meeting about what to do with Konoha. Mikoto hid her disapproving frown from him by sipping on tea, it wasn't her place to tell him no to an idea, especially not one he took so seriously.

"Mikoto.." Hearing her name, she looked into her husband's eyes to see an inquisitive gaze land on her. "Are you ready to follow the clan in our rebellion? You have often been quiet at the clan meetings and sometimes I wonder if you disagree with the idea of taking back what should be ours."

"I..see what must be done. You won't have a problem with me Fugaku." The man looked at her for a moment longer before turning his attention back to his tea; he missed her frown after saying those words though.

Suddenly, urgent knocking ran through the household as Fugaku opened his eyes in surprise and set his tea down. It was coming from the front door and it sounded like trouble. He stood up and saw Mikoto getting ready to follow, he held a hand up for her to wait while he checked it out. Running through the house and to the door, he saw a shadow through it and the person was pounding on the thin wooden opening.

"FUGAKU-SAMA, OPEN THE DOOR!" Sensing the urgency, Fugaku opened the door to find Tekka Uchiha profusely bleeding from a cut across his chest.

"What the hell's going on!" The man looked up at Fugaku, blood began to pour from his mouth and the patriarch then noticed a blade protruding from Tekka's stomach.

"I'm sorry..Fugaku-_sama_." The man fell to his knees and hit the ground hard, revealing the assassin behind him.

"I..tachi?" Fugaku was taken by surprise to see his son standing there with bloodied armor and the blade stained with Uchiha blood; instead of remaining shocked, his blood began to boil as he realized too late that his son really was the traitor!

"You bastard Itachi! You've betrayed the clan for the Senju's worthless ideals!" Activating his sharingan, Fugaku flung himself at Itachi and grappled his son's sword wrist.

_'I'll be at a disadvantage as long as he has a weapon.'_ Itachi said nothing as he squinted his eyes and grunted in exertion trying to hold his father's attack back.

Headbutting his son away, Fugaku prepared himself for a fight. Itachi knew he had little time until his sister arrived and decided to make use of his newest abilities. With a speed Fugaku never knew Itachi had, a genjutsu was placed on the older man as Itachi ran forward. Dispelling it, Fugaku couldn't react in time to stop the blade from piercing his chest, allowing him to watch his blood stain the walls and Itachi's sword.

"Damn..you.." Itachi pulled the sword out and it allowed Fugaku to hobble back into the house.

He headed straight to the family room to find Mikoto fretting over the noises at the door. After seeing her husband bleeding from the chest, her eyes widened in horror and she rushed to help him. A hand came to her face and the slap echoed around the room, it was Fugaku's final warning.

"What..are you..doing! _Get..out of here.._" His voice faded into a whisper until he collapsed from blood loss, leaving Mikoto without anyone to tell her what was going on.

"FUGAKU!" She got on her knees and tried to help him, anything to help him, but she knew no medical jutsu and there was little else she could do except clean the gaping wound.

"Mother." The one word that turned Mikoto's spine into ice and made her hair curl was said from behind her, the voice of Itachi.

Turning around, she found her son, just as she had expected, covered in blood of his family. Knowing what was about to happen, Mikoto got up and prepared her own sharingan, ready to fight if she had to.

"Itachi..how could you? How could you do this?" Itachi said nothing to his mother at first, slowly sheathing his sword and causing the woman to lower her guard a bit.

That was just the fraction of a second Itachi needed as he rushed forward and punched her gut, enough to make her double over. As the lights within her mind dimmed, she could only ask herself why she was being spared a conscious death. Itachi then began to speak, and she finally realized why.

"There is still much for you and Sasuki to do mother, so I won't kill you. Keep her safe, and be sure to welcome the new arrival."

She didn't know what he meant by that, but there was little time to contemplate. Unconsciousness reached her quickly and Itachi allowed her to lay down near Fugaku. Right on time, he heard a door swing open to find Sasuki, breathing heavily and choking on tears, staring at the bodies of her parents with Itachi standing over them.

"Itachi..why? What's going on Itachi, what have you done!"

"You'll have to grow stronger Sasuki if you want to kill me. Let your hate take over..let it consume you..only then will you ever be able to kill me." Without further warning, Sasuki was put to sleep with Itachi's sharingan.

Walking over to her, he picked her up and took her to her room. With it being the last time he would see his sister for so long, he wiped away her tears and brushed her hair a bit. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and covered her up with her blanket, careful to watch for bloodstains he might leave.

"Goodbye Sasuki."

Within a moment he was gone, out through her open window leaving a broken Uchiha compound and two heartbroken girls behind.

As soon as Itachi left, he was assailed by a man with a swirl mask. Itachi glared at the sight of having to see Madara again. To keep the peace, he allowed Madara to help him finish off the clan, but it appeared as though the man had decided to stick around a little longer.

"Why did you even bother Itachi?" He asked from the wall where he stood looking down at Itachi who was on the barren, empty street.

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked and Madara just chuckled and pointed in the direction of his old home.

"Why did you spare them? They are just weaklings that should have been killed off like the rest of the clan." Itachi glared at him and disappeared, reappearing to stand next to Madara but facing in the opposite direction.

"Because love..surpasses any form of hate. With love..anyone can be redeemed." Madara watched as Itachi left and he thought over what the boy said.

_'So that's your plan, eh Itachi? You did seem like a bright one when I first met you but..now I see you are just a fool.'_

It wasn't long before he left as well, leaving Konoha for what would be a long time. He had to worry about his new organization rather than some petty form of revenge; it was all for his ambitions.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Naruto's Apartment_

"Ah today was pretty cool! I got to meet a cute girl, a new class, and the teacher doesn't hate me yet!" Naruto was sitting on his bed, staring at his ceiling as he thought out loud the progress of his day.

He had gotten back a few hours ago and had already eaten his dinner, some instant ramen with a glass of milk. With little else to do, he had sat on his bed for the rest of the evening, looking out his window and at the stars. Maybe there was a chance he would find a friend after all, he had to have friends if he wanted to be strong.

Yawning, Naruto realized that it was late and he should probably get to bed. He got up and turned off the fan light and quickly hopped back into bed. Just as he was getting settled, a familiar knocking rang at his window and he looked excitedly to see Itachi waving at him with a smile.

"Hey Naruto-kun, mind letting me in?" Naruto threw the bed covers off and quickly let the young Uchiha in, allowing the now cleaned up Itachi to step into his room.

"I see you're getting ready for bed, but I have a surprise that just can't wait." Naruto got out of bed and went over to Itachi where he was kneeling down to be at Naruto's level.

"What is it Itachi-nii? You didn't go and get me more ramen did you?" Itachi chuckled and shook his head, rubbing Naruto's hair playfully; it was much better than ramen.

"No..I was able to find you a family." Naruto's smile immediately dropped and was replaced with a gaping maw of surprise, a family?

"What..did you say?" He asked, not quite believing what Itachi said; the older boy decided to play around with Naruto and repeated it.

"I found you a family that was more than willing to take you in, all you have to do is give them this note when you meet them." Itachi handed Naruto a small note and saw him about to unfold it, he lightly slapped the blonde's hands.

"No, only they can read it." Naruto looked at Itachi and nodded, still in shock to do anything else.

"But..why?" Naruto asked the Uchiha, only to receive a knowing smile.

"Come on Naruto, have you already forgotten? You always used to tell me how the only thing you wanted was a family. You said it would make you feel better and make you stronger, did you think I wouldn't help you?" Naruto's eyes began to tear up as he realized that Itachi had meant what he said, that he really did help him.

"Itachi.." Itachi grunted in surprise when the small boy slammed into him and began to cry happy tears, forcing the older to boy to smile again and hug him back.

"There there Naruto, you'll be fine. You'll be living with my mother and sister, I'm sure they'll be happy." Naruto was taken by surprise to find out that he would be living with other Uchiha and looked at Itachi worriedly.

"But..what if they don't like me?" It was then that Itachi was reminded just how much the Uchiha clan had avoided Naruto, and he was sure the boy was scared his mother would be like the other adults.

"Don't worry about it, my mother is a very nice woman. My sister is your age too, you must have met her somewhere. Sasuki?" Naruto immediately recognized the name and began to smile, he would get to live with Sasuki!

"Yeah I know Sasuki! I just got moved to her class today! We got along really well!" Itachi was glad to see Naruto's happiness and turned around, indicating the boy should hop onto his back.

Naruto quickly obliged and Itachi leaped out the window towards the Uchiha compound. As soon as Naruto couldn't see his face, Itachi frowned and began to think on why he was taking Naruto to his compound. Yes, the boy had asked for a home and a family and Itachi was glad to grant it but..it seemed as though another reason had come to mind.

_'My family can never forgive me for what I've done..but maybe by giving Mikoto a real son and Sasuki a real brother..maybe I can give them something they never had to begin with.'_

It wasn't long before they arrived at the now quiet compound, the only sound was the occasional cricket chirp. Slowing his movements down to a brisk jog, Itachi soon arrived at the building and, avoiding the front entrance, took Naruto to his room through a window. Naruto was amazed at how nice the traditional home looked and found it to be quite a change from his apartment. It was much more spacious and refined, and Naruto had to say he preferred it.

"Alright Naruto, now when you wake up, I want you to give that note to Mikoto, my mother. That should work everything out, and then you can be part of the family." Naruto looked at Itachi confusedly as the man stood up as if he was preparing to leave.

"What do you mean sleep? I'm too excited to sleep! And where are you going Itachi-nii? Isn't this your room." Itachi turned around and looked into Naruto's eyes with his sharingan; the blue eyed boy's eyes dilated as they watched the spinning tomoes entrance him into a sleepy illusion.

"I have to go Naruto..just remember to give that note to my mother when you wake up. Good luck!"

Naruto hit the bed where he had been standing on and Itachi decided to leave him sleep. With little else to do, the Uchiha left the house in search of Madara. To protect his family and Konoha, he would have to make the ultimate betrayal.

Hopefully, Naruto could be the Uchiha prodigy that everyone wished had existed; a perfect cross between Senju and Uchiha..an Uchiha..who could love.

000

Like I said, this is a re-upload of when I originally put it up. For all those who are repeat readers, I understand that you wouldn't want to write again especially since its not like I'm on a steady schedule of updating. If anything just enjoy this one chapter and hope there come more to follow.

Review, Alert, Favorite!

Peace Out!


	2. Pretty Red Eyes

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 2

Pretty Red Eyes.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'_

_thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are age 7 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 27. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** The Uchiha Clan Massacre occurred when Sasuki is in the academy still, five years prior to Part 1 of the series.

This is chapter 2 of the Blonde Uchiha, Naruto meets his new family but things don't start out as well as everyone hoped. Mikoto also deals with the aftermath of the clan's destruction, emotions and politics coincide. There is a poll up on my profile go check it out and see your opinion on the matter of Naruto's abilities.

Also, start thinking about whether you want Kakashi as a sensei or not. Mikoto could always be a replacement if you think its a good idea.

Last thing, to clarify what I said about him being a cross between Senju and Uchiha, I meant as in him believing in the Will of Fire as his Senju side. He doesn't have any more DNA relation with Hashirama or Tsunade than he does with Madara Uchiha.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Clan Compound_

_Mikoto's House_

Mikoto stirred. Knocked into unconsciousness by her son and left for dead, the Uchiha matriarch was just now awakening the next morning. As soon as her eyes cracked open, she leaped up in a defensive manner. She remembered the last thing before she blacked out, Itachi telling her something about a new arrival. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach as she felt a sharp pain when she stood up.

_'Damn..Itachi hit me very hard..'_

Fugaku was nowhere to be seen though and all the blood had been removed. She began to trudge through the house at a slow pace, looking for any sign that yesterday wasn't a dream. The broken door had been mended as good as new and nothing remained of the body that fell there. Mikoto kept walking further out into the main compound to be met with more surprise, all the bodies were gone there as well!

Nothing was left but everything had been replaced, the compound was like a ghost town now. Surely the Hokage sent in a clean-up crew after Itachi had left but she had never presumed they could be so thorough.

_'I will have to be careful when I go to see him..no telling why he allowed me to be spared.'_

Suddenly, the thought of her daughter alone at home chilled her. This was not a time where she could feel safe in her own compound. Betraying the nature of her wounded body, Mikoto ran back home and straight to Sasuki's room.

There she found her little girl sleeping, albeit with tears flowing from her eyes. She must have been having a nightmare. Mikoto thought it best to let her sleep awhile while she went into town to see the Hokage. Inside her room there was a Jonin flak jacket with ninja tools she could wear back from her active duty days. Then, she thought against it; if the Hokage planned to kill her, he would have allowed Itachi to do so last night.

_'This situation just gets stranger and stranger..but I have to make sure things will be okay for Sasuki. I need to know what happened to Fugaku.'_

With an objective set in her mind, Mikoto grabbed her lace sandals, the ones with the heels, and headed out with the same clothing on as yesterday. They may have tried to clean their sins from the compound's walls, but Mikoto still wore Fugaku's blood on her apron. It would show the Hokage that he couldn't hide from what he had made her son do.

Little did she know, there was another still in her home and he was just about ready to wake up.

000

_Hokage Mansion_

_Office_

The Hokage was not having a very good day. Combine the fact that the Uchiha had just been massacred down to the last man and the council was eagerly biting at him for a chance to manipulate the bodies of the dead; today was not getting any better. Worse yet, he felt that a certain Uchiha was on her way to meet him now and it wouldn't be prudent to wallow when he had no right to.

_'I hope that Mikoto-san will at least listen to me..I'd rather not have a fight in my office.'_

Sure enough, a muffled noise could be heard on the other side of his door. It almost sounded as if someone was arguing and things were just starting to get heated.

"_Ma'am you can't enter, the Hokage does not have an appointment scheduled for you-"_

"WELL HE CAN MAKE ONE!"

Hiruzen flinched as the door swung open with Mikoto storming in with a frightened secretary trembling outside.

It didn't take but another second for a squad of ANBU, the elite of the village, to arrive on the scene. If there was a disturbance anywhere near the Hokage, it was their duty to handle it with more often than not deadly force. They surrounded Mikoto and had their katanas drawn, all pointed somewhere on her body that would be lethal should she decide to resist.

Mikoto activated her sharingan and glared at the masked faces, daring them to go further. She may be at a disadvantage, but she was an Uchiha dammit! Their stubborn pride came at a zenith when they were in trouble and she would not allow herself to be pushed around by the same people who ordered the death of her people.

"Stand down!" The ANBU glanced at the Hokage and realized his order was for them, quickly sheathing their weapons and standing back from the angry woman.

"Leave us, this is a meeting that is not to be disturbed. Understood?" His serious tone, as rare as it was, made them know he meant business.

"Yes sir." The ANBU captain led his squad out, leaving a lingering stare at the Uchiha before walking out with the door closing behind him.

Hiruzen slumped back into his chair, not happy with the way the meeting began. Mikoto still stood there, albeit with her sharingan deactivated.

"I know you're angry Mikoto, but please sit down and listen to what I have to say. Afterward we can do whatever you want to do. Is that okay?" He talked as politely as he could, careful to not anger her further.

Mikoto calmed down considerably, she wasn't one to stay angry for long. If anything the business with her clan made her distraught but she knew that she was now the only thing left her daughter had. She couldn't risk dying because she let her emotions run through her. In fact, the chance that the clan would be attacked before their plans could come to fruition was a fear that she had for a long time; she just hoped it never would happen.

Hiruzen watched as she took a few deep breaths and sat down in a chair across from his desk.

"Now then, I think its obvious that I should apologize to you. The actions that have come upon your clan are in no small means my own fault and I apologize fully for such. However, I will deign to tell you that Itachi himself volunteered for the job even when I told him we could continue with diplomatic options. I will admit the councilors forced him into a corner though and did not give him much choice." Mikoto couldn't say she was surprised by the outcome, still it was a lot to take in.

Hiruzen continued, hoping to finish before Mikoto found a point to get angry at. With their current situation, those points were coming more and more often.

"We've already gotten a clean-up crew to your compound and brought the bodies into the village morgue as I'm sure you've noticed. I apologize for breaching your clan's privacy within your compound, but this isn't a job I would leave for you and your daughter to do or see." Something like that could leave scars.

"Itachi made us promise not to order you into doing anything you or your daughter don't want to do, but you know that Danzo will find a way around that. I'm sure he plans to use the CRA on you, you know that don't you?" Mikoto flinched, she had heard of the law but never thought she would have to endure it.

And since Sasuki was a girl, she too would be forced into its binding contract. Its main intention was to make sure the near-extinct clan would have enough offspring to eventually have it return to its splendor glory, in the case of severe losses or disease amongst members.

In the end it was a powerful political tool that could have the surviving females paired up with just about any man from any clan and forced to have their children. It wasn't a bad proposition for surviving males for they could take multiple wives without it being frowned upon, literally getting their own harem legally. But there were no males of the Uchiha left, just mother and daughter leaving them with few options.

"Will we really be forced into it, Hokage-sama?" Hiruzen could sense the despair in her voice and sought to rectify her fears.

"There is no doubt in my mind they will force you into it, the Uchiha are a powerful clan with their kekkei genkai and you know it Mikoto-san. They see the recently deceased as troublemakers and now want a loyal populace of Uchiha as a future generation. But there are..options to what you can do to buy yourself time. For example, if you pick a younger boy as your husband then they won't force you to have a child until he is older." Mikoto recoiled at the thought, a younger boy?

She herself was 27, relatively old in the life of a shinobi but still very young when compared to the general populace. Surely those they would attempt to pair her up with would be just as old if not older, they would want her to have multiple husbands too.

"This is..a lot to think about Hokage." Hiruzen nodded in sympathy, even if she was an adult Mikoto had enough problems on her hands than to deal with the CRA.

"Yes, let's move onto something else. We can take care of that when the time comes." Mikoto nodded in assent but then a thought crossed her mind.

"What will I tell Sasuki about her brother?" Hiruzen let loose a puff of smoke from his pipe, in thought.

"He told us to not tell her anything, it appeared as though he already had a plan for her. I suggest you keep your idea of Itachi separate from that you tell your daughter. We both know why he did it, to keep the peace. I doubt he told your daughter that, so observe what she thinks before you tell her anything." Mikoto didn't like it, but if Itachi really did have their best interests in his heart then she wouldn't tell her daughter the truth.

"I would like to see my husband Hokage-sama." Hiruzen knew that was coming and nodded, it was the least they could do was pay their respects.

"Yes, I think that would be a good point to stop at. Please follow me Mikoto-san and please do not be alarmed at what you find at the morgue." Hiruzen got up and began to shuffle his way toward the door with Mikoto close behind.

Opening it, they found the ANBU squad was waiting outside. They quickly straightened up ramrod straight when the door opened to reveal the Hokage and Mikoto. They had remained behind to keep the Hokage's wishes and steered away any who attempted to enter.

"Hawk, if you would." The captain nodded and his team quickly fell into step behind them as an escort.

It was mostly for precaution on the Hokage's part, but there was no telling what the village's reaction would be to a lone Uchiha walking down the street. With the ANBU following them, it would send a strong message the Uchiha were still _protected _members of the village.

It was a short walk to the village morgue, certainly a dark place considering the rest of the bright and shining village. Inside were a few medical ninjas moving in short jogs, obviously busy with the large amount of new arrivals. Mikoto felt her blood boil and her insides twist as she entered but kept strong, she had to come to terms with their deaths.

Hiruzen pushed a wide set of doors open and they entered a large, cavernous room the size of a very large gymnasium. There were dozens of fold out tables spread across the room, each of them with a coffin laying on them. The Uchiha fan decorated each at the very foot of each coffin along with the occupant's name and age.

Mikoto brought a hand to her mouth as she looked around her, so many dead. Itachi had not even spared the children, their small coffins a dead giveaway. Mikoto wondered through the pathways looking at each name and remembering a face, a conversation, a memory of her life with them. Her parents, her friends, and then her husband were all eventually found.

Hiruzen saw her stop at a particular casket and walked over. It was her late husband, Fugaku Uchiha; the mastermind behind the Uchiha rebellion and killed by his own son. Mikoto ran a hand over the wood covering him, thinking back to their times together.

They were meant to be married from the start, she was the child of the original clan head while he was one of the strongest Uchiha to be born at the time. His proficiency with the sharingan and his existing skills led the elders to put them together for a stronger breeding stock. She hadn't minded too much, already being told of her fate long ago by her mother.

Fugaku was never husband material to her though, it seemed as though it was all business and matter-of-course for him. Of course he would breed with Mikoto and of course he would raise their kids to be strong Uchiha. There was little love in their relationship, but Mikoto had tried. In the end she failed and became the loyal housewife, but even then that did not give her what she wanted in a relationship, love.

She was thankful when she had a daughter after Itachi, it gave her someone to pamper while Fugaku stole Itachi away and turned him into..something that was not her son. There was no way she would have allowed him to do the same to Sasuki, even if it meant going against his wishes. Luckily, it didn't come to that as Itachi made sure he was dead before Fugaku could take any real interest in her.

But even with their differences, Mikoto had been promised to Fugaku since she was fifteen. It was hard to let go with so much time together with him, but she would be able to do so. Maybe if she got to take a look at his face then she could..

Mikoto made to open the casket but a gentle grip over her hand stopped her. She looked and saw Hiruzen gripping her hand and shaking his head.

"Mikoto-san..you don't want to see him as he is now." He was avoiding something, she could tell.

"What do you mean?" Before Hiruzen could answer, Mikoto lifted the casket open and she gasped out loud.

"W-what is the meaning of t-this.." Hiruzen sighed and could tell exactly what she was talking about.

There was Fugaku in the usual garb that Konoha buried shinobi in, save that his had the Uchiha fan on the shoulders. The blood had been cleaned from his skin and the wound in his chest covered by cloth and sealed.

Everything seemed just right, except of course his lack of eyes. The eyes that Mikoto had known for more than a decade were now gone, left in their wake was bottomless dark voids. Someone had harvested his eyes and she could only guess many others had lost theirs as well.

"I'm sorry Mikoto-san, but it is an ordinance passed long ago in accordance to dojutsu user deaths. To eliminate the possibility of an enemy taking the eyes through grave robbing or harvesting directly on the battlefield, our doctors or medics respectively are ordered to remove the eyes themselves and store them. Generally nothing is done with them and they are given back to the clan after the body is buried, however, the council is pushing for using them in future transplant experiments." Mikoto shut the coffin and glared at Sarutobi, making back away a bit.

"That.." Mikoto gritted her teeth, uncharacteristically angry. "Is clan property. They have no right to use them, I want them all returned to me and I will do with them as I see fit. Do you understand, Hokage?" Hiruzen pondered for a moment but nodded, it was her clan and her say what to do with them.

"I'll let them know and do what I can to have them returned to you immediately. I apologize for the inconvenience this caused you Mikoto-san. Not that I want to change the subject hastily either but.." Mikoto calmed and looked at him curiously. "What of your daughter, you should probably go to her and be there if she isn't already up."

Mikoto agreed, she hadn't planned on being with the Hokage this long. She had to return home and be there when Sasuki woke up so she could explain everything.

"Yes, you are right Hokage-sama. If you will excuse me, we can continue the discussion another time." The Hokage nodded and let her pass by without any further interruptions.

He heard the doors swing open and close again, leaving him alone in the room filled with dead. It was an odd moment for him to fall into thought, but he felt himself doing this more and more in his old age.

_'She didn't mention anything about Naruto..I wonder..could she have not seen him yet? Or did I interpret what Itachi said incorrectly?'_

000

_Uchiha Clan Compound_

_Mikoto's House_

Mikoto made her way through the quiet streets and felt an odd foreboding sense in her stomach. She prayed Sasuki was still asleep, that would give her time to prepare for her explanation of the situation. With such a quiet and tense atmosphere, Mikoto realized just how big the compound was.

Not that its' size mattered much at this point, but she had been walking through the residential area for at least five minutes just to reach her home that served as the inner compound with its own set of walls. It was there that our blonde jinchuuriki had just woken up and stumbled upon the front door.

_'This house is so big..I can't believe Itachi-nii got to live here. I haven't seen anyone else though, maybe they are outside.'_

Naruto opened the sliding door slowly so as not to arouse any attention to himself. It was then he saw a very beautiful woman closing another set of large wooden doors that served as a gate along the wall. She turned around and saw him peeking out from her door, instantly making her go on the alert.

_'Who is in my home?'_

"Who is there? Come out here right now!" Mikoto's stress was getting to her now and she felt herself about to snap, still though, no one should be here that wasn't Uchiha.

"Sorry.." She heard someone say in a childish voice, quiet and soft. The door swung open and Mikoto's eyes widened, what was _he_ doing here?

"Y-you..what are you doing in my house?" Naruto could tell Mikoto was surprised and he couldn't blame her, still he was afraid of what she was going to say.

"I was brought here last night by..someone." Naruto almost forgot that Itachi said not to tell her anything, just give her the letter.

"Who would that be?" Mikoto was getting suspicious, who would bring the jinchuuriki boy to her house? Was this supposed to be some cruel joke?

With trembling hands, Naruto took out the note and gave it to her. Mikoto opened it and read the few lines of words, slowly her eyes widened and the note almost fell out of her hands. Naruto saw her look up from the note and eye him, obviously having some internal struggle on what to do with him.

_'Is it too soon..should I? I mean, what Itachi says is true but can I just bring him in like that? What would the village think, what would Sasuki think?'_

"Sorry I bothered you!"

Naruto's voice echoed through her ears as she watched him run past her and leave the compound, not a word could come to her mind. She felt shamed after a few moments, never did she think she would ever hesitate to help a child in need. It was just that after her clan's demise and her thoughts racing a mile a minute about her daughter, she had lost sight of what was going on around her.

_'I should probably go after him..'_

"Kaa-san..is that you?" Mikoto whirled around and saw Sasuki by the door, rubbing her red eyes and shading them from the sun.

"Oh Sasuki-chan!" Mikoto ran over to her daughter and embraced her tightly, holding her little body close to her frame.

Sasuki was overjoyed her mother was actually alive, betraying her memories of last night. The night her brother killed their clan and called her a weakling. She didn't know why Itachi would do that, but it made her angry that even then he still had the nerve to call her weak. Seeing her mom alive though, it made her feel a little better.

"I thought you were gone too..Kaa-san." Sasuki felt herself get smothered even further by her mother's bosom but ignored it, enjoying her warmth.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise Sasuki." The two Uchiha held each other for a moment longer before Sasuki weaseled out of her hold, curiously looking around.

"I woke up because I heard you talking to someone, who were you talking to mother?" Mikoto looked down in shame at that, seeing no harm in telling her daughter regardless.

"It was that boy..Naruto Uzumaki." Sasuki's eyes widened in happiness and she looked around, frantically calling out his name.

Mikoto watched her daughter, surprised at her behavior. She wasn't expecting her daughter to know him at all since last time she checked they weren't even in the same class.

"Where is Naruto mother? Is he here?" Mikoto shook her head sadly and looked back at Itachi's note.

_Mother, I'm sure you know who this boy is. I implore you to care for him when no one else will, as I must leave the village after tonight. The Uchiha downfall was arrogance, show Konoha you can rise above that and care for a needing child, please mother._

_Itachi Uchiha_

"He's gone sweetie..he ran off." Sasuki was confused, why would he just run off like that?

"But why did he run off? He shouldn't just go out alone, someone might hurt him!" Mikoto hadn't thought of that, the Uchiha compound was pretty far off from the rest of the village.

It would take him a while to get to wherever his apartment is, maybe too long. Some villager might try something, it would be because Mikoto hesitated to take him in.

The thought chilled her.

Maternal instincts kicking in, Mikoto grabbed Sasuki's hand and led her inside. Taking her daughter along would just slow her down and the sun was already starting to set, bathing the compound in an orange sheen. It would be difficult to find him if she couldn't be free to move around the village.

"Stay here Sasuki-chan, I'll be right back with Naruto." Mikoto quickly stripped her apron off leaving her with a blouse and her long dress.

"Hurry back Kaa-san, we can't leave Naruto alone!" Mikoto ran past the gate and through the compound reflecting on the little boy.

_'Could Naruto really be yours Kushina-chan? If he is..I'm sorry I didn't do something sooner.'_

She had never given him much thought, the jinchuuriki was put out of her mind by Fugaku with his plans and her housework and children.

But if he really was the son of her best friend, then that meant he truly had no family to care for him. That thought gripped her heart with such sadness that threatened to break it. How could she be so cruel to him?

Not just for Itachi or Kushina's sake, Mikoto would care for Naruto because she couldn't stand to think of another alternative.

_'Hang on Naruto-kun, don't let me be too late!'_

000

Mikoto searched throughout the village, jumping from rooftop to rooftop searching for the bright blonde head. Alley ways, restaurants, and even the hot springs were on her list of destinations but she could not find him anywhere. It was then she saw the school and decided to check there as well.

000

_Konoha's Ninja Academy_

There he was, Mikoto thought in triumph. Naruto was idly swinging on a wooden swing underneath a tree in front of the Academy. The look on his face, while difficult to see with the sun shining in her eyes, was that of pure sadness. It made Mikoto want to hug him tight and tell him it would be okay, but she wasn't sure if Naruto would appreciate that after their first meeting.

_'He might not be happy to see me..'_ Mikoto steeled herself with a look of determination. _'But I won't give up so easily.'_

"Naruto?" He looked up and saw her, the Uchiha mother; his eyes sunk again.

She probably wanted to yell at him for being in her home uninvited, but he felt too depressed to stay and listen.

"Sorry..I was just leaving to go back home." Naruto slumped off of the swing and started walking away from her, in the opposite direction she came.

Mikoto watched him shuffle off and she couldn't wait any longer, so she stepped forward and spoke with her motherly voice.

"Where are you going Naruto-kun? The Uchiha compound is on the other side of town.." Naruto stopped mid-step, did he hear her right?

"W..what did you say?" Mikoto walked up to him as he slowly turned around to look into her sweet onyx orbs, she bent down and gave him a big smile.

"I said you are coming home with me, aren't you Naruto?" She opened her arms wide and he leaped into them with tears streaming down his face, strained sobs erupting from his mouth.

Mikoto didn't mind his tears staining her shirt nor did she mind him snuggle further into her breasts. She just knelt there, holding him and rubbing his back like a mother should.

"Come on Naruto..let's go." The Uchiha picked him up and held him tight as she began to make her way back home with her prize.

_'At least one good thing happened for us today..'_ She thought with a smile, the new addition to the Uchiha was a cute one at least with those whiskers.

_'Like bringing home a puppy.'_

000

_Uchiha Compound_

_Dining Room_

After Naruto came home with Mikoto, Sasuki had cheered up quickly. It was a welcome change to her crying in her sleep earlier and it almost felt like nothing had happened to the Uchiha previous to that night, _almost_. The quiet house was now filled with laughter as the children got re-acquainted with each other this time as brother and sister instead of class-mates.

They sat in the dining room, or family room as Fugaku called it when they had their meetings. Those days were the quietest, the house had never felt more tense when he would speak of the coup. But that was over now, instead she had two children that lit up the house and made it happy, at least for one night.

"Alright you two calm down, I need to speak with Naruto." Mikoto chided, getting them to calm themselves as they sat next to each other across from her.

"Naruto-kun..do you understand what it means to be a part of our family? You will be an Uchiha..do you know what that means?" Naruto thought a little while about it, wondering if it was a trick question.

Sasuki laughed at his thinking face as if he was about to explode.

"It means I'm going to be really strong and I get to live with Sasuki and Mikoto-chan all day!" He shouted in enthusiasm, getting a giggle from the girl and a smile from the mother.

"Well, that might be part of it, but power isn't everything. You have to be nice and sweet too, we haven't had any of that in this house for a while." Naruto nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm always happy and I try to be nice to everyone, I just thought I didn't have to mention it!" Mikoto laughed a bit, he was so young and innocent.

_'I hope he keeps that innocence, even when he becomes Uchiha.'_

"So does this mean Naruto-san will be my brother?" Sasuki asked innocently to her mother, making the woman point at Naruto with a smile.

"Its up to him." Without hesitating, Naruto shouted his answer.

"Yes!"

000

Hey guys, short author note because I don't know what else to say except sum up important events. Poll on profile, check it out after you drop a review. Also keep in mind the whole Kakashi/? Sensei, and if you want someone else as their teacher give an idea about what mission I could substitute for wave. I'm kind of getting tired of the same old thing too ya know?

On with the final bit.

000

Mikoto was next to Naruto's bed, telling him a story passed down through the Uchiha. As they were a warrior clan, it was a bit violent even if it was considered for little kids. Naruto didn't seem to mind though as he enjoyed it through to the finish, just as Sasuki had as well.

_'Only Itachi saw less interest with it, especially as he aged.'_

"Miko-chan.." Naruto squeaked out cutely, not used to calling her 'mother' yet.

She thought his nickname for he was cute though and knew he would call her his mom in time.

"Yes, Naruto?" He fidgeted like he was nervous about something and Mikoto became worried.

"You talked about the shar..shir.." Mikoto smiled as he referenced from the story, the clan's dojutsu.

"The sharingan?" Naruto nodded, not sure how else to say it.

"Do all Uchiha have it?" Mikoto shook her head and Naruto deflated a bit.

"No Naruto, some Uchiha do not go through ninja training and therefore most do not ever run into the chance to awaken it. Others have diluted genes and have lost the ability to spread the sharingan or use it. Even then, most Uchiha who enter ninja service at one time or another get the chance to activate it, then they can train it to become more powerful." Naruto thought about it for a moment before asking another, more personal question.

"Do you have them?" Mikoto hesitated but nodded nonetheless, she didn't activate it much though since she became a housewife.

"Can..can I see them?"

That was where Mikoto started to think against continuing the conversation, he was obviously tired and she wasn't sure he knew what he was saying.

"Naruto-kun..many think of our eyes as scary..I don't want to give you nightmares." Naruto shook his head, he was determined to see it.

"Miko-chan isn't scary, I want to see them!" She sighed, he obviously wasn't going to stop until she showed him.

"Okay..but just for a little while okay?" Naruto nodded and Mikoto closed her eyes for dramatic effect, activating her sharingan.

Opening them, Naruto's eyes stopped wandering as the only thing in the room that wasn't dark lit up. Her eyes were blood red now with 3 tomoes in the middle surrounding a circle where her iris was.

"Wow.." Naruto said quietly, reaching a little hand up to touch.

Mikoto guided it to her cheek and let him lean up to get a closer look, finding it cute how he was amused by her eyes.

"Miko-chan..you have pretty red eyes." She blushed, betraying herself.

"You aren't scared..are you Naruto?" She said as more of a statement to confirm it; he shook his head.

"No..kaa-san's eyes are pretty as red and black." Mikoto gasped, he called her mother!

Maybe it was because he was starting to doze off though, she watched him slouch back into bed.

"Since I'm an Uchiha now..does that mean I get red eyes too?" So young and foolish she thought, he based things off names not blood and DNA.

She took a sympathetic smile as she deactivated the sharingan and leaned over him to kiss his forehead good night.

"No Naruto..you have to be born an Uchiha to get our eyes..I'm sorry." Naruto frowned but soon yawned as she kissed him and brought the blankets up to his face.

"Maybe.." His voice grew to a whisper as he began to drift into his dreams. "_There is another way..for me to get eyes like kaa-san."_

Mikoto's eyes widened, would he go that far?

No, she told herself, it was just his dreams.


	3. Naruto Uchiha

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 3

Naruto Uchiha

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are age 7 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 27. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** The Uchiha Clan Massacre occurred when Sasuki is in the academy still, five years prior to Part 1 of the series.

Next chapter, this time around its a short(er) one to finish up Naruto's childhood. Wouldn't it be a bitch if I just time skipped through the bullshit straight to Chunin exams? Nah, I wouldn't do that. There is some good stuff that I could probably write, just keep those reviews coming and giving me ideas and I'll do my best to get to writing.

Now before you read on, just keep in mind that there is no canon facts on the extent of medical ninjutsu in Konoha, nor is there much information on transplants of dojutsu. We have no idea how Naruto's body would react to having a sharingan implanted in him, how Kyuubi would handle it, and just how far he could mature it. Of course many have made guesses, some quite well educated may I say, but there is no _right _way.

This is just my disclaimer to stop some angry reviewer, this is MY interpretation. I don't care if its not how some author I don't know did it, this is how I did it.

Oh, I guess I told you he got a sharingan. Spoiler?

Not really actually. The story is The Blonde Uchiha, not the The Blonde Uzumaki Who Poses as an Uchiha.

000

_Uchiha Compound_

_Mikoto's House_

Mikoto was in the kitchen preparing a meal for the two children in her care before they went off to school. All had woken up early so they could a family talk of sorts and they were waiting patiently in the family room for her to come out. The Uchiha mother had placed her bloody apron away and adopted more presentable outfit under her cooking apron, a tight red sweater with a pair of blue pants and her lace sandals.

Not worthy of combat, but good enough for a meeting with the elders.

That was something she had the _pleasure_ of experiencing today as well, she thought with a scowl. A messenger had told her of a scheduled meeting between the surviving Uchiha Matriarch and the village council. The title they gave her surely was a sad attempt of kissing up to her to give them an edge in negotiations. It would do them little good though because all they would be discussing is the Uchiha's future in Konoha, what little to discuss there was.

_'I won't let them take advantage of my Sasuki..even if it means sacrificing my own future.'_ Mikoto thought with a grimace, they would surely go for the younger Uchiha while she was still able to be influenced.

Over her mother's own terms if she had to guess as well.

There was also the case of Itachi, the last remaining male Uchiha and her son. Where did he leave Konoha for? Why hadn't the village sent hunter-nins after him already? There was something odd about how nonchalant they were about him leaving, even if it was their orders that led him to do so. That was something she would bring up at the meeting as well.

There was no one in Konoha she could trust, not even the Hokage. No matter how noble and honest he was with her, Mikoto knew that a part of him totally agreed with the outcome that came from the destruction of her clan. Even a part of _her_ knew that Konoha would be in dire straits if the Uchiha had been allowed to continue with their plans. The Uchiha were her clan though, there was no doubt which side she was loyal to and the council had to know that.

That was why they were going to try and control her now.

She could hear their laughter from the other room, those two were the only ones she could trust. That meant she would do whatever it took to protect them.

"Kaa-san, hurry up!" Sasuki's voice rang through the thin sliding doors and Mikoto looked back at her cooking to see it was done; fish with some rice and soup, a quick and light breakfast.

"It's coming you two.." With expertise rivaling a waitress, Mikoto entered the family room with all three of their meals to set down on the small table.

Naruto and Sasuki sat next to each other as usual and Mikoto sat across from them, eating their food in relative silence. They were still getting used to one another and how they acted. Naruto hadn't been in such a formal setting before and didn't know how to act, so he reverted to being shy. Sasuki and Mikoto were nervous they would scare him further so they didn't say anything.

"Naruto-kun.." Mikoto broke the silence and Naruto brought his attention from his food to her. "you know I already stocked your closet with clothing that Itachi had when he was your age. Did you like any of them?" She asked to broach the subject of his new clothing as Naruto now wore a black shirt and beige shorts.

"I like them Miko-chan..are you sure I can wear them though? They are pretty new and stuff.." Naruto never got new clothing or new anything, everything was hand-me-downs from the Hokage.

"Of course you can wear them Naruto!" Mikoto chided with a laugh. "They are your clothes now." Naruto blushed and nodded, still not used to such generosity.

"You can get clothes like mine with the Uchiha fan after you pass the fireball test Naruto!" He looked at Sasuki as she turned around to let him see the Uchiha fan proudly stamped on her blue, high collar shirt.

"Fireball test?" Naruto looked expectantly at Mikoto and she brushed a strand of hair back uncomfortably, silently berating her daughter for broaching the subject so carelessly.

_'What if he doesn't have a fire affinity? At his age Naruto wouldn't understand and would get crushed if he couldn't do the technique, he isn't a natural-born Uchiha like Sasuki.'_

"All young Uchiha are given a test by their parents to see if they have earned the right to be called an Uchiha and wear the fan on their clothing. The test is to see if you can use the Uchiha clan jutsu, Gōkakyū. Whether you pass or fail the first time, you won't be considered a true Uchiha unless you can do that jutsu. Its an old tradition passed down since a young Uchiha youth created the fireball jutsu, all Uchiha believe that if their child can create it at the same age they are destined to be a prodigy." Naruto seemed excited over the prospect of trying it while Mikoto was still apprehensive.

"When can I try it then?" Mikoto gave an awkward smile and hesitated a moment.

"Well..we will have to do it some time tomorrow Naru-chan. Kaa-san has a meeting today right after breakfast and it can't wait, so I won't have time to teach you the technique. I promise we will do it though." Naruto deflated a bit but cheered up when she promised they would get around to it.

"Don't worry Kaa-san, I can teach him the jutsu after school today to give him a head start. That way he can shoot a fireball to welcome you back from your meeting!" Sasuki encouraged him and he smiled at her, thankful she would do that for him.

"T..thanks Sasuki.." Naruto blushed in embarrassment when she gave him a sweet smile.

"Don't worry Naruto, that's what brother and sister are supposed to do!" Mikoto instantly smiled when she heard that, the two were getting along just fine.

"Okay you two, its time for you to get going or else you'll be late for class." Mikoto ushered them out with lunch and a wave goodbye while she quickly set to doing the dishes so she wouldn't leave any strings at home.

It didn't take long before her household chores were done. Really, she didn't mind being late to the meeting just to spite the elders, it was the least discomfort they could have in return for what happened to her. Mikoto didn't know how long she would hold the grudge against them, perhaps forever. If so, they had better be prepared to endure such hardships while she was still alive.

000

_Hokage House_

_Office_

Hiruzen sat at his desk with Homura and Koharu flanking his sides as usual, albeit they were quite impatient at the time. Mikoto Uchiha, the one they had called a meeting for, was over fifteen minutes late. For a civilian that was a little disappointing, for a ninja to be late it was obvious they were being mocked. The Hokage knew of course Mikoto was quite aware of the meeting and the time, but she could afford to be late.

_'With what we will discuss, can you blame her? I would be hesitant in her position as well..'_

"Where is that damn woman.." Homura muttered in anger, she had the nerve to stand them up at such a critical time?

"She will be here soon, in fact I think we will be seeing her very shortly." Hiruzen calmed his team-mate and soon enough, Mikoto joined them in the office.

She said nothing as she walked to her seat with a straight face and sat down, looking directly at the Hokage. They took this as the meeting start and began to lay into her immediately.

"Welcome Mikoto-san, although I feel you might have gotten the times mixed up in your head." Koharu carefully scolded the grown woman as she indicated the clock. "We are over fifteen minutes late in starting this session because of your tardiness."

"No mistake was made, elder. I was not informed of the gravity of this meeting therefore I did not take the time given as compulsory." Hiruzen thought he detected some haughtiness to Mikoto's tone and knew she was getting angry.

"That aside.." Hiruzen stepped in to keep the peace. "This meeting has been called to assess the situation of the Uchiha currently and for future.._efforts _in continuing the bloodline in Konoha." He did not wish to use the CRA as a proper term, nor did breeding seem like an appropriate word either.

Either translation further made to unsettle Mikoto in her seat.

"Yes, would you please give us a complete rundown of the Uchiha clan and its current members Uchiha-dono?" Suddenly they gave her the respect a matriarch deserved, the spiteful bastards.

"We have suffered grievous losses after the _massacre_, one might I add you forced on us elders. This wouldn't be necessary if the outcome had been different." Mikoto retorted, as if they didn't know where the Uchiha stood; they probably had each pair of eyes recovered counted with a certain amount of glee.

_Touche_, Hiruzen thought as Mikoto bit back at them. The woman took out some notes she wrote down from her study in the compound after receiving some information from the medical-nins in charge of the Uchiha dead.

"Our casualty list just recently arrived from the morgue, numbers and names were detailed. Sixty two Uchiha are dead, this includes children and elderly." Mikoto glanced at the elders to see if they reacted, but received nothing but a quirk of lips; she sighed and continued. "Forty pairs of sharingan eyes have been confirmed recovered while the rest did not test positive for the dojutsu activated, therefore rendering them useless." That was a point the elders were a bit disappointed in, if only all Uchiha had some form of the dojutsu activated they would have had a higher amount of genes to choose from.

"On a side note.." Mikoto glanced up from her notes with an accusing glare at the three in front of her. "I have no record of Uchiha Shisui's eyes being recovered, nor his body being located in the morgue. Would you elders or the Hokage mind telling me where he is?" There was an edge to her voice, suspicion of foul play.

"I was not alerted that Shisui was not among the dead..then again he was killed a few weeks previously correct Mikoto-san?" The Hokage asked, genuinely confused at the situation.

The two elders remained silent, but also thought the disappearance of the body was odd.

"Yes, that is correct. However, to the best of my knowledge he was kept in the morgue until this point in time because my hus-.." Mikoto paused in the middle of the word. "..Fugaku decided to keep him from being buried until we could have a proper funeral. We were..busy at the time." Mikoto ended quietly, indirectly admitting to their time plotting the coup.

"We will have this matter investigated immediately Uchiha-dono, you have our word. The disappearance of such a prestigious shinobi like Shisui-san is a disgrace and must be rectified immediately." Homura declared and received a nod of agreement from Koharu and Sarutobi.

Mikoto knew it was just being polite, but as long as they found the body she didn't care.

_'Shisui had very powerful, very dangerous eyes. If someone stole his body to use for themselves..that will cause trouble later on.'_

"Moving on..what, in your opinion, is the Uchiha's current status Uchiha-dono?" Koharu progressed the meeting after a moment of awkward silence when they were left to their own thoughts.

"There isn't much of a clan left elder. There is myself, the matriarch, along with my children. Our compound is in perfect shape though and our clan archive remains untouched. We have the facilities for more clansmen, but for now we have no way of getting back our former strength." At this the elder's attitude turned from neutral to devious and Mikoto and Hiruzen both knew where it was going.

"Ah, we have found a way to rectify the problem Uchiha-dono. When a clan is in dire straits, the Clan Restoration Act is placed upon their family until the size of the clan is well enough to sustain itself without such emergency measures. May we presume you know of what it details?" Homura stated with hidden excitement and Mikoto resisted the urge to vomit, giving a shrug instead.

"Enlighten me of the procedure elder." He was hoping she would say something like that.

"While this usually only pertains to the males of the clan, in such an unfortunate case as the Uchiha are in we only have females left. That means we must be extremely careful with the breeding pairs we give you to make sure your clan has the best chance of continuing with the sharingan and any other positive genes we can get from the father." Hiruzen listened as his team-mate explained the act to the woman, silently hoping Mikoto would not overreact as he had warned her beforehand.

"While you may begin breeding immediately Uchiha-dono, your daughter will have to wait. However.." Not one to be unprepared, Koharu now continued the explanation. "We can still set up her future partners for when she turns the healthy child bearing age of sixteen, she will be fully prepared to continue the Uchiha line. Of course there will be time for you to rest between births and we will take care of any help you may need in caring for them while you are busy fulfilling the CRA." Mikoto found the thought disgusting, forcing them to have multiple partners and not even getting to take care of their children afterward?

The elders must have been out of their minds if they thought she would allow this. Unfortunately, she could not just be allowed to do nothing when the Uchiha and more importantly the sharingan meant so much to Konoha's military strength. Whether she liked the idea or not, Mikoto would be forced into having _someone's_ children much sooner than she would care to.

But if there was a chance to spare Sasuki, at least until she found the right _one_, Mikoto would find a loophole.

"Before we continue elders, at least let me speak my mind on the subject as this is my body and my daughter's that we are talking about. I will not allow myself but more so my daughter to be forced into a pairing where there is no relationship, only duty. I have been in a relationship like that for the past twelve years and I did not like the experience." The elders had hoped she would remain quiet and docile, but of course she would speak her mind to them.

"Uchiha-dono, you must understand its a difficult balance between your feelings on the matter and the duty to the village and your clan to continue-" Mikoto's glare cut the elder off and let her have the floor again.

"_I _will decide how far my loyalty to the village goes, and I damn well know my duty to my clan. My daughter and I will most likely have children in our futures, however, it will be with someone we wish to have children with and not yours." Just as the elders were thinking of a smart retort, Danzo decided to make his presence known.

"Uchiha-san, you should know such a weak excuse will not allow you to escape the CRA so easily." Mikoto twisted in her seat to see Danzo shuffle in and look at her with a thinly opened eye, like a constant glare. "Sympathy is not my strong point, so excuse me for not feeling too much over your past experience. Your past husband failed as a Konoha shinobi and as a lover, but that doesn't-" Mikoto had kicked over her chair as she stood up in pure outrage over his accusation.

"Danzo! What is the meaning of this..you were not to come!" Sarutobi did not like his old comrade's entrance already and hoped to cut it short.

"I'm sorry Sarutobi, but I cannot allow this woman to jeopardize the future of a great bloodline because she allows her feelings to get in the way of the village's best interest. Now Uchiha-san, if you want to leave this meeting without even stricter restraints on your clan and your _daughter_, I highly suggest you give us a name for you and your daughter's future husband or husbands if you do so choose." Mikoto flinched and realized he had backed her into a corner.

It was true, Danzo and the elders could make the Uchiha have an even worse time in Konoha than they were now. Even worse, an _accident_ could befall her leaving her unable to care for Sasuki and Naruto and leave them for the vulture council.

Danzo enjoyed seeing the woman deflate as she realized just what power he held. He only came because he knew the elders would fail in persuading her, the woman was stubborn and was thinking with her heart when she should think with her head.

"How..how can you expect me to have an answer to such a question so quickly.." Mikoto was at a loss for words, what was she to say in response to that?

It was a life changing decision who you would marry and have children with, definitely not one that could be made in a few moments.

"Danzo, your interruption has disrupted this meeting. I should adjourn it right now for your disrespect of this council and the Uchiha..but it is true that Mikoto-san must make a decision. I need to speak with her in private for a moment.." Hiruzen looked at his two team-mates and inclined his neck toward the door. "Elders, please excuse yourselves for a few minutes."

Koharu and Homura were flabbergasted, too shocked to say anything in response as they slowly shuffled out. Danzo left a lingering glare before joining them in the hallway and closing the door behind them. Hiruzen sighed and waved a hand toward another chair that Mikoto hadn't knocked down but she refused to calm herself.

"Mikoto..I know this is a troubling development, but I have to agree with Danzo. Making a premature decision can most definitely be life changing for the both of you, but that doesn't mean you can't change your mind in the future. Your daughter still has many years before she is of age where this will be implemented.." Hiruzen stood beside her, speaking encouragingly in her ear as she shook with rage. "And there are ways for you to avoid the CRA as well..do you remember what I told you yesterday?"

Mikoto thought back and couldn't believe he was having her consider the idea, it was disgusting.

"A younger man Hokage-sama? How can you ask me to choose a boy where I am twice his age, how will he even take it knowing he is to..to _breed_ with a total stranger?" She said the word with disgust. "I can't do that..besides I know no boy that would be young enough to keep me from having sex with him for more than a few years."

Hiruzen sighed, he had already thought of a suggestion, no matter how outrageous she would think it was he would give it a shot regardless. As he said before though, it was merely a delay tactic or at least that would be all Mikoto would have to see it as.

"How about you choose Naruto as your daughter's and your own choice?" Mikoto had been staring at the floor until that point but was now openly gaping at the Hokage. Naruto?

"But he is only seven years old! And I adopted him as an Uchiha! We are practically mother and son now, he wouldn't understand. I would feel like I'm betraying his trust by using him like that!" Hiruzen nodded, he could see where she was coming from.

"I know Mikoto-san..but Naruto does not have to know of the arrangement between you two until he is older when you have to fulfill the CRA. Telling him of his engagement to Sasuki however would be satisfactory and keep them both from asking any further questions." Mikoto calmed a bit but still looked unsure over the situation, feeling a pit of guilt growing in her stomach.

Hiruzen moved closer to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, indicating she look at him.

"Mikoto..I'm very sorry that you have been thrust into the spotlight like this. If anything you should be mourning your clan right now and my team-mates and I should be kissing your feet in apologies. However..we both must look at the situation at what is best for you and your children. Introducing a total stranger as your partner to the children will affect them terribly at this young of age, not to mention you yourself would not be happy at all. Naruto and Sasuki surely get along and would have plenty of time to warm up to the idea of marriage, giving you plenty of time to find the right partner as they grow up.

Who knows, you might even decide to choose Naruto as well, no matter how outrageous that sounds now." He quickly added the outrageous part seeing her disgusted face.

It wasn't that she didn't think Naruto to be an unattractive boy when he would grow up, being the son of the Yondaime surely gave her plenty to imagine in his older age. However, she had already begun to see him as a son and felt that he saw her as an adult and maybe later a mother. Their relationship couldn't go farther than that in her eyes as long as the two kept on the same thought process.

"I..think you are right Hokage-sama. I'm afraid they won't allow it though, especially not for the both of us. He is seen to them as the jinchuuriki, a powerful tool to the village, not some select male breeding stock." Hiruzen pondered it for a moment before moving over to his desk and opening up a drawer where he pulled out a scroll.

"Well then.." He said with a smirk. "We will just have to prove to them he is proper breeding material."

000

_Uchiha Compound_

_Pier_

Naruto and Sasuki were coming home after a long day of school, nothing much new was learned that day and the two new family members were excited for their next activity. Sasuki was leading him through the compound to the pier her father took her to take the initiation test herself. There she would teach him the hand signs and let him try it. Of course she had no idea how to actually teach someone a technique at her age, for Uchiha the fire affinity usually came quite naturally and didn't take much effort for such a simple jutsu to be formed.

Naruto was a wild card in the subject though, there was no telling if he could even manipulate fire let alone control his chakra for it.

The day was sunny, as usual for the warm Fire Country. Even though she knew it had no real effect on fire jutsu, Sasuki always liked to think that the sun gave her luck with her initiation test. Maybe Naruto would get that luck too.

"Come on Naruto, its over here!" Sasuki ran ahead of Naruto as he did his best to keep up, he had plenty of energy but she seemed to be bursting at the seams.

"Wait up Sasuki-chan..I can't run that fast!" She ignored him and ran ahead, coming to a stop at the mouth of the pier on the small lake on the edge of the compound.

It was then her excited smile gave way to a small frown, this was one of the only fond memories she had of her father. It was here she pulled him along to see her successful fireball and where he had shown her a smile, one that was directed to her with pride. He had never done that before with her, not even with her good grades; he always saved them for Itachi.

Sasuki had her mother for praise and smiles, but she still wanted approval from her father. Because he reserved his only for when he was truly impressed, that was why it made such an impact on her. And now..he was dead, killed by the man who he poured all his pride and love into. Sasuki felt so vulnerable at that moment, she didn't even realize a few tears had fallen from her eyes.

Naruto had finally caught up with the girl to see she was just standing there, not saying anything. Since she was staring at the pier, her back was toward him keeping him from seeing her tears. Naruto saw her shake a bit and went over to see what was wrong, confused at her sudden change.

"Sasuki..are you okay?" This woke the girl up and she quickly brushed her cheeks free of the tears.

_'No need to worry Naruto with my problems..he's dead now anyway. Itachi is out of my reach too..right now I just have to care for Naruto and Kaa-san.'_

"Yeah.." Sasuki replied, coughing a bit to quiet the flutter in her voice. "I'm fine Naruto. Come on, I'll show you the hand signs now." Naruto kept staring at her for a second but then shrugged in ignorance.

_'Absolute zero ability in reading emotions.'_

Sasuki went through the hand signs once slowly for Naruto see, giving him a chance to practice with just the movements. Then, going through them with a practiced speed and ease, Sasuki created a small fireball that extended some amount over the water from the pier. Naruto watched the fire blow in the wind with a trance as it raced from Sasuki's mouth and then dissipated back to its' point of origin.

"Okay Naruto, you try."

What followed for two full hours was Naruto's attempt at channeling his overwhelming amounts of chakra into a fireball. Unfortunately, his body just could not get a handle on the manipulation of the chakra, let alone infusing it with a nature affinity he might not have had. Naruto felt it was a bad start to training but Sasuki took it especially hard as she thought it was her fault.

"Sorry Naruto-kun.." Sasuki teared up a bit as she apologized to the confused Naruto. "I must be a terrible sensei if I couldn't help you learn a jutsu so simple like this. Maybe Iruka-sensei could-" Naruto cut her off with a hug that shocked her into quiet.

"That's not it Sasuki-chan, I'm sure with more practice I can get it. You are a great teacher, I like listening to you a lot more than Iruka-sensei. Not to mention you're prettier than him.." Sasuki blushed at his comment, even if Naruto was ignorantly comparing her cuteness to a guy.

_'I'll take what I can get.'_

"T-thank you Naruto..how about we go home for today and try again tomorrow? I bet kaa-san is back from her meeting by now anyway. We should welcome her." Naruto agreed and the two set off for home, feeling better than when they arrived.

000

_Mikoto's House_

_Family Room_

Mikoto waited for the children to arrive, however, she was too lost in her own thoughts to hear the door open and shut with childish laughter and the pitter patter of feet on wood to notice the arrival of her children. She had just promised her daughter and _herself_ to a seven year old boy who was the outcast of the village, was that not crossing some line? What would her friend Kushina say to her marrying her son?

_'You go girl! Show sochi-kun how a cougar does it!'_

Mikoto blushed, better she not think of it.

Still though, the prospect of morality wasn't the only thing that concerned her. The council's demands were strict and binding to the contract CRA, they would have no choice to follow if they wanted any semblance of freedom in the village. To protect her children, she would have had to have taken this course of action which is why she did so.

_'The elders were at first outraged at the thought of us marrying Naruto, but with Hiruzen's quick thinking and persuasive tactics allowed them to think they had all bases covered. In a way they do though, no matter what will happen with my choices, they will get Uchiha children. Still though, at least Sasuki may be happy with the choice.'_

"Kaa-san!" Naruto and Sasuki tackled the woman as she sat there in a trance, waking her up from her inner thoughts.

The family shared a laugh as they lay on the cold floor, just staring at the ceiling in a moment of closeness. Mikoto glanced at the two and noticed how they seemed happy, so oblivious to the world of problems that surrounded them. Better it stay that way though, she thought. What was a child without blissful ignorance? It was their right after all.

"How was school today you two?" Mikoto asked and got the usual grumbles, even from Sasuki; it looked like Naruto's _enthusiasm_ for school was rubbing off on her honor student.

"We will be learning about chakra manipulation and nature elements next though mother, so maybe Naruto can do the initiation afterward." Mikoto was reminded of Naruto's initiation by that remark and made to ask how it went.

"I didn't pass Kaa-san.." Naruto said quietly as he looked up at her with disappointed eyes. "But I will keep trying so I can be a real Uchiha, like you said. I want to be with you guys." Mikoto smiled as she felt him hug her tighter and rubbed his back in comfort.

"You already are with us Naruto-kun, don't feel pressured into completing the technique. Since you are going to learn about it anyway, I'll tell you about nature chakra now. The five basic elements are water, earth, wind, fire, and lightning. Each person has at least one affinity and can train themselves to harness more, but there is no guarantee of one particular element." Mikoto lectured them in a professional, motherly tone on the subject as it wasn't something academy students could grasp easily without first-hand knowledge.

"Naruto, natural-born Uchiha generally always have a Fire affinity, meaning they can use fire techniques without any intensive training. You come from the Uzumaki though, a very well known clan that used Water as a primary affinity.." Naruto suddenly felt very down that he had the opposite affinity but Mikoto encouraged him to continue listening. "But that doesn't mean you have water and it doesn't mean you don't have fire. We will just have to have you practice and see what you can and can't do. I know if you work hard enough, you can master any technique." Sasuki, who was on the other side of Mikoto, sat up to look at Naruto and smiled.

"Yeah Naruto, you are an Uchiha like us. Uchiha are powerful and can learn any technique so I'm sure you can learn Gōkakyū in no time." Naruto felt encouraged and nodded in assent, making that part of the conversation done.

"So kaa-san..how did your meeting go?" Sasuki asked after a while of more silence and staring at the ceiling.

Mikoto knew this was coming up and decided against keeping much from either of them, just what Hiruzen suggested. If Naruto knew he was marrying both of them, the thoughts of her being his mother and wife would confuse his young mind between both titles and could break their current relationship. Besides, it wasn't anything he had to worry about for a while.

_'The council said that I have to be pregnant by him turning 18, so we have plenty of time for me to think of something.'_ Mikoto was at least thankful they had so much time, not expecting the elders to give them such space to work with.

"Well, the Hokage and I talked about the Uchiha and what will happen..with us in the future." She had a pause halfway through, trying to think of the best way to word it; the kids didn't mind and listened closely. "The Hokage said that because the Uchiha are so powerful, we have to make sure that we have..ways to keep the clan going in the future."

_'This is so difficult with children so young as them, I can't use the terms sex or breed or else they will overreact!'_

"Yeah..how do we make more Uchiha kaa-san?" Sasuki muttered in thought, trying to figure out how that would work out; her mother had the decency to hide her blush and cursed as Naruto seem to adopt a thinking pose too.

"T-that's something you will find out when you are older!" Their mother's quick reply made them quiet down and accept it for truth, allowing her to continue with her awkwardly worded conversation.

"It was decided that we had to ensure that in the future we could have more Uchiha..and that you two could stay together very closely to help with this.." Sasuki seemed to be catching on, something her mother wasn't surprised of, however, Naruto seemed to still be trying to wrap his head around the idea.

_'Hopefully he will grow out of this..its probably because he doesn't have much experience with people.'_

"You two are engaged to be wed in the future, when you are older. This is to ensure the clan's line continues without any problems.." Mikoto trailed off as her daughter blushed and Naruto was still thinking, apparently not hearing what she said.

"We..we are going to be like you and tou-san?" Mikoto just nodded, accepting the comparison.

_'Hopefully there will be more love though than our marriage. Then again, its starting out just like ours did, an arranged one.'_

Sasuki said nothing, mulling the thought over. She liked Naruto sure, but at such a young age it was impossible to think over such a big change to her future. It would take time she figured to get used to, but her mother was someone she could trust and they would have plenty of time to think it over and get used to each other.

"Okay..I trust you kaa-san.." Mikoto smiled and gave her daughter small hug as Naruto was still sitting up, thinking over what she had said.

"So.." The two turned to him, figuring he had arrived at a conclusion finally. "Is this marriage thing like some special brother-sister thing the Uchiha do? Because I don't know what it is.." Mikoto just gaped at him in amazement he didn't understand yet and Sasuki grumbled and sighed.

_'My future husband is a baka..great.'_ She droned sarcastically while Mikoto started explaining the prospect of two people being married.

Once Naruto had been thoroughly explained to the whole process, he was fully embarrassed and blushing like Sasuki was. Still though, he was seven and they both didn't comprehend everything that went into marriage even if they thought they did.

_'They've got plenty of time too, Sasuki has to have a child by sixteen. By then it will be clear if they like each other or not, if not then they will have plenty of friends from the academy to choose from.'_

Mikoto was as satisfied as she could be with the outcome of things, if only for now.

"Alright you two..its getting late. I'll go make us some food and then its off to bed for you two." Mikoto hurried to the task she had given to herself while they went out into the garden to bathe in the last of the sun's rays.

Mikoto watched them play through the kitchen window, smiling at their care-free attitudes even after such a bomb had been dropped on them, regardless of her trying to soften the blow.

_'As long as they are still smiling, I have a reason to keep trying for Konoha and for the Uchiha.'_

000

_Mikoto's Home_

_Naruto's Room_

Mikoto was tucking Naruto in again as she did the previous night, however, this time she had to broach a particular subject to him as it was brought up by the council. Hiruzen was not wrong when he mused on their interest in the sharingan for future transplant operations, what he nor Mikoto had expected was they put Naruto forward as one of the receivers.

While they knew that giving him the sharingan would in no way increase the chance of her or Sasuki having children with the gene, they figured it would be a worthy investment into the village's weapon if they could give him the sharingan eyes. It was even more in favor because he was now adopted into the Uchiha family, who better for him to help harness these powers than the owners of it themselves?

If Mikoto wasn't around, she seriously doubted they would still consider the transplant for he would have no one to learn from; a book in the hands of a person who was illiterate.

But what mattered to her the most was Naruto's opinion, if he didn't want the eyes then she wouldn't let him have them, end of story. Even if she knew she could train him to protect himself better with them if they forced the eyes on him, she would not force the boy through any more than he had already been through of manipulation.

"Naru-kun.." Mikoto purred in his ear as his tired eyes turned to her, noticing she still remained at his bedside when he was covered by blanket.

"Yes Miko-chan.." He responded with a tired yawn, saying her nickname again in response to her name for him.

"Do you remember when you asked me about the sharingan?" He nodded. "You said you wanted the red eyes..why do you want them?" Naruto's tiredness set aside for later, he sat up in bed and looked into her onyx orbs with determination.

"Why are you asking Kaa-san?" Mikoto swallowed the lump in her throat and continued hesitantly.

"Kaa-san can give you the red eyes you want..but you will lose your blue ones..do you want that?" She was almost choking up with tears asking him this, how could she make a seven year old choose to lose something as personal as his own _eyes?_

Naruto's response made her almost choke.

"Yes, I want that Kaa-san. I want the red eyes." He said it so seriously that she couldn't even put it off as a joke, what did he _mean_ he wanted them?

"Naruto..do you know what you are saying? Why would you give up your blue eyes when you've had them forever?" Naruto looked down at his blanket and gripped it tightly with his hands, knuckles turning white.

"I want to be strong enough to protect Kaa-san and Sasuki, just like Itachi-nii said to." Mikoto flinched at her son's name but was surprised Naruto cared that much to protect them when they had only known each other for a few days.

"If I can be strong with the red eyes.." Naruto said with emotion choking up his throat too as he began to cry. "I will lose my blue ones if I can protect you, Miko-chan!" She couldn't help but feel warm at his vow to protect her, even if it came from a seven year old.

"Naruto, why would you go so far for us? We have only been together for a few days..how can you feel so strongly about protecting the Uchiha?" Naruto looked at her, his sniffling stopped and his voice cleared so she could hear his reason that she still reflected on far into the future.

"Because..the Uchiha gave me a chance..you and Sasuki gave me love..and that is something I will die for to keep intact." Mikoto began to cry and hugged her son, thankful that he was so passionate about love, something that had been missing from their family for so long.

That was why she wasn't uncomfortable at all when she called Naruto her son.

"Thank you..Sochi-kun..I love you very, very much!" Naruto wrapped his tiny arms around her and snuggled into her bosom, crying.

"I love you too..Kaa-chan." He was a bit muffled by her shirt, but Mikoto heard it and only hugged him tighter.

The Uchiha were for the first time a family.

A family with love.

000

Well, the chapter ended up being longer than I thought it would. Not bad eh? I think this is a good time skip point, next up will be graduation times where they are soon to be genin. They are 13 at that point in this story. I've decided to keep Kakashi as the sensei but try and change up the missions that lead up the to Chunin Exam.

Be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think of the chapter and how the story is progressing!

Bye.


	4. How Far We've Come

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 4

How Far We've Come

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now nearing the completion of the academy while Mikoto remained in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

_**WARNING, large author note. **_

_**If you don't like to read about my take on the story and answering some things then skip down to the triple zero's.**_

Hey guys, next chapter is ready to read. This time we will be having flashbacks detailing Naruto and the lead-up and aftermath of his operation (Leaving out the actual surgery other than being implied, we would both get bored from all the medical mumbo jumbo)..(and I mean really, you just take his eyes out, delicately if I may add, and put the other guy's sharingan in right?)..(yes this was for comedic purposes, laugh damn you).

Moving on, We will also be getting into the lead up to their graduation, the relationships between the Rookie Nine (Since I'm sure some of you are wondering about the teams/Sakura's crush). Well I'll tell you this, I'm not a fan of having Sakura become a lesbian, I don't think its really that realistic and more of a punishment authors give to her because they don't like her character.

Just because she has superhuman strength and short hair doesn't mean that she falls into 'lesbian' category, however, she will feel drawn to Sasuki as an idol just as Naruto was drawn to Sasuki for a rival.

I remember for a past chapter someone asked, 'Why didn't Mikoto just threaten to leave Konoha?' in response to their pushing for the CRA. You know what, I actually mused on the idea of having Naruto and the Uchiha family eventually (or early on) leave Konoha but then I ran into the first roadblock, where would they go? No other Uchiha exist outside the Land of Fire, even their safehouse with Grandma Cat is empty and their forts are ancient.

No one would just take in the Uchiha and the village would not let them leave and even Mikoto can't take on everybody. That is why I felt Mikoto wouldn't say that because she seems quiet but observant and she would know that isn't a viable option for her or her kids.

Some of you are also worried about the whole 'double marriage' or '7 year old thought processes' but I urge you not to judge yet. I will admit that children aren't my strong point as far as their brains go, however, I felt that I portrayed their idea of marriage well enough to the point where they found it more to be a far-off thing, playing it off as kind of a game for the moment.

Now that they are older and have a grasp on their situation, you'll see protectiveness from Naruto (as no one knows of Sasuki's engagement) and (hopefully) subtle character development between Naruto and Mikoto as the story goes on to which a relationship will flourish in Part II (They won't have sex when he's 13, sorry perv readers; same with Sasuki by the way).

If you know me, I don't like harems BUT if you also know me (can I say that?) then you know I don't like it when my main character's girls get with other guys WITHIN the story before him. I mean, it just feels like a soiled the innocence of the romance of what I was trying to write, its a personal thing for me I guess. So, sorry for those who don't like them being sold off together now or that Naruto is marrying his adoptive mother/cougar but I wasn't about to let Mikoto out to dry to be with someone like Kakashi (Even though I'm sure someone will write, 'Well uh, it makes more sense that way') Yeah, it would to another writer, but in my story Naruto isn't a player in his harems, he is a lover. He will grow to love Mikoto as a woman as she will grow to love him as more than a son, at least that's my goal.

Alright, that felt good. If you have questions about the story and its progression just leave it in a review or you can send me a PM although of course I won't answer anything that spoils future chapters.

Now to begin.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

Morning in the Uchiha compound that day was not as quiet as Sasuki was used to as she groaned in bed. Faint voices murmured veiled words through her door. Although she didn't know exactly what the conversation was, she knew the two culprits of it. Naruto and Mikoto were in the kitchen, probably eating breakfast together as had become the custom in the house since Naruto was used to waking up in his own time.

It didn't take long for the boy to find out when his adoptive mother would wake and he too would follow suit so he could talk to her, be near her. Naruto had been starved of social stimulation since he was born and he was eager to make up for that lost time, something of which Mikoto happily embraced as it was the first time she had a helper in the kitchen.

When it came down to his cooking skills, he left a lot to be desired, however, as Sasuki remembered it didn't take long before Mikoto stopped his ramen breakfast spree quick. Before the girl could realize it, Naruto was making a breakfast to rival feasts her mother had prepared in the past; Mikoto had never been so proud. The same time line would have happened for Sasuki, but her father made her focus more on schoolwork and surpassing her brother was already an impossible task that left no room for teaching her how to cook.

"Geez..their _bonding _time always wakes me up." Sarcasm dripped as she crawled out of bed with only an oversized T-shirt acting as her cover.

Today was the day She, along with the rest of the class, would take their graduation exam. Although they kept the details secret, Sasuki was confident both her and Naruto could pass easily.

_'At least I hope the baka does, it wouldn't do if when we got married I was Jonin and he was still a genin.'_ Giggling at the thought, dressing in her usual school look was as quick as it was simple.

As always, she wore her high collar blue shirt with the Uchiha crest stamped proudly on the back. With the shirt taken care of, it was then onward to her tougher choice; a short skirt that came to her mid-thighs or her usual beige shorts. Thinking better of changing the routine for such an uneventful day, Sasuki decided to wear the skirt tomorrow to indicate her fresh start as a genin.

Slipping on her blue sandals, Sasuki headed toward the bathroom to check just what her hair had in store for her today. She looked into the mirror to see that other than a few stray hairs, her long and flowing dark blue hair was still in good shape. It wasn't long before she began to play with it, tying it into pig tails before almost vomiting; to redeem herself she tried a ponytail that her mother sometimes wore but thought that could also be done a later date.

The Uchiha settled for her usual look and decided to see what the commotion was all about with those two finally as they had just about resorted to yelling her name. The halls reverberated her covered feet and told the two in the family room she was on her way.

"What do you two wa-" Sasuki stopped mid-sentence as she saw the two sitting across from each other enjoying their meal, staring at her for her loud interruption. "Sorry, I didn't realize you had stopped talking." She mumbled in apology.

Mikoto beamed at her daughter, all she could see was progress progress and progress. Though her daughter had lost some of her more girlish manners as age passed, Mikoto was still proud to see that her daughter had not lost her feminine touch.

"Sasuki-chan, so nice of you to join us." Sasuki glanced at her mother and just gave a _hn_ in response to her prodding.

"Yeah, well I bet even if I hadn't come in you two would still be enjoying yourselves. You get along really well.." Sasuki looked at Naruto who had been quietly eating, silently laughing at the situation. "..tch, mama's boy."

Naruto had the decency to hide his blush with a loud slurp of his soup brought all the way to his face. Mikoto giggled at his reaction, it was true he spent most of his time at the compound with her. Not that she minded though, in fact she quite enjoyed having such a happy face to welcome her home. It was much different than the past, something Mikoto did very well at not focusing on anymore.

_'I have enough problems these days to worry about what happened six years ago.'_ Mikoto took a small sip of green tea to clear her thoughts about the CRA and her stress from maintaining their clan's status.

_'Meeting after meeting regarding Uchiha this, Uchiha that, proposal options here, children there. I could make a profession out of denying the elders every turn I got to speak. Its just become so stressful I almost wonder if telling them would do any good.'_

"You know, its almost like you two are the married ones." This time it was Mikoto's turn to show a reaction, spitting out her green tea back onto her plate _and_ Naruto.

Naruto was about to laugh at Sasuki's joke when he got green tea all over his black shirt and looked to see an embarrassed and blushing Mikoto quickly set her cup down and cover her mouth in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry Naruto-kun, hang on I'll get a towel." She ran off into the kitchen as the siblings exchanged glances, not understanding her odd reaction.

_'Moms...weird.'_

_'I'll have to remember this, kaa-san has a thing for Naruto.'_

The siblings agreed to their thoughts as Mikoto ran back in and began to clean Naruto's face and shirt with her towel. It wasn't that much but enough that it would be uncomfortable to leave and Naruto would definitely be wearing another shirt today.

"Hey kaa-sa.." Naruto was cut off as she continued to dab his skin and shirt with the towel vigorously and he figured she was really taking this badly. "Miko-chan, its fine I can handle it." Mikoto realized she looked a bit too overzealous in her redemption and blushed in embarrassment at just how close her son was to her.

_'No, its not like that. They don't really know about the engagement, it was just a figure of speech.'_

"Y-yes..you are right Naruto, here take it." Naruto proceeded to take the towel and clean himself off as Sasuki enjoyed her breakfast, thoroughly enjoying the interaction after the conclusion she came to in her thoughts. "But leave the shirt when you leave for school, I will clean it for you."

Naruto let out a sigh but nodded, the woman would not take no for an answer so he gave in as usual. He set down the towel and proceeded to take off his T-shirt he had been wearing to bed, decent only thanks to his boxers. Both Uchiha women shook their heads at his nonchalant take on manners but ignored it as they wanted to escape the strict rules the house had been under in the past. They wanted to lighten up a bit and even take in a little of Naruto's happiness, except of course they weren't willing to strip down to their undergarments in the house.

Regardless, Naruto had greatly influenced their lives and so far it was for the better. Sasuki and Mikoto both had recovered from any sort of long-lasting symptoms of depression that the village doctors had expected. Naruto had also improved both his social and ninja skills since being inducted into the Uchiha, all culminating with the implant of his sharingan eyes.

"Okay Kaa-san, I'll go get a new shirt and Sasuki and I can go. We have our big test today." Mikoto suddenly remembered as her daughter rolled her eyes, it wasn't as big of a deal as he made of it.

"That's right, you two will be taking your final step to genin. I'm so proud!" She gushed, already thinking of a way to reward them for how far they had come.

"Its not that big of a deal Kaa-san, the tests so far have been a joke. They actually figure the jutsus they teach us will be challenging, but Naruto and I learn them the first time we see them without a sharingan!" Mikoto laughed at her daughter's expense, her frustration was nothing less of what was expected of an Uchiha prodigy.

"Try to be more understanding like your brother Sasuki-chan, he knows how important they are in the future of your ninja career." Naruto shrugged, he didn't think much of the techniques but if his Kaa-san was happy he was too.

"Please, Naruto could care less than I do.." Sasuki droned but Mikoto dutifully ignored her, remembering the sad event that befell Naruto six years ago that led him to not having a sharingan.

Naruto had yet to take advantage of the ability, even once. It was because when he first attempted to use them, he promptly almost fainted from the pain and chakra usage. No single jutsu up until that point had affected Naruto like that, but he knew that it wasn't really chakra exhaustion but his body's difficulty in getting used to the new organs.

There was also the fact to consider that no one else, not even his family realized he had these sharingan eyes. Mikoto along with the elders and Hokage were the only ones who stood in on his operation of Fugaku Uchiha's eyes transferring to his body. While the operation was a success, upon fully linking the eyes to be compatible with the body, the red sharingan disappeared back into a sky blue albeit with a slightly darker tint.

The elders were outraged and demanded to know what happened while the medics had no explanation, it seemed as if Naruto's body rejected the eyes dojutsu and shut it off, permanently. As Naruto was unconscious for his recovery, it was then he learned exactly why that happened and what he had yet to reveal to his family for their own safety.

000

_Flashback_

_Six Years Ago_

_Naruto's Mind_

_Naruto's head hurt, the last thing remember is holding his mother's hand before the doctors put him to sleep for the operation. The operation that was going to give him red eyes, eyes to protect Sasuki and Mikoto. His eyes!_

_Naruto got up quickly and looked around, noticing his new environment was far from a hospital room; it was dank and dark with lots of pipes and a single direction to go, forward. On the ground he saw a puddle and excitedly ran over to look at his eyes, the new ones. It was met with disappointment when his eyes were the same as always, plain blue._

_What happened, where were his new eyes? Why was he here and what exactly happened in the operating room?_

_Fear gripped him as a sudden fear of his new surroundings invaded his mind, allowing the other presence to sense his feelings._

"_**I sense your unease, come forward boy and I will explain further."** Naruto heard the voice but was scared of it, it was loud and..demonic._

_It felt like it was coming from everywhere but there was only one place it wanted him to go, toward the end of the hallway._

"_**Well come now you whelp! Do not try my patience lest I take back my favor."** Figuring it wasn't a good idea to make the thing angry, he ran forward until he was in a big room with a cage on the other end with a seal locking it._

"_Wh-what are you?" Naruto stood before an awesome beast, the size something he could never fathom at his age. _

_It reminded him of a fox with what he could see, the large orange ears, snout, mischievous smirk, and the swirling tails that Naruto thought looked in infinite number._

"_**I?"** It grumbled in a mocking tone, now that the boy was closer he had to reserve his usual booming voice for a quieter setting. **"I am Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox that is sealed within you, a tiny human brat that just inherited a dangerous weapon that doesn't belong to you."** Naruto gulped as he emphasized Naruto's place on his respect totem pole, quite low._

"_**To keep both you and I safe, I created a simple trick of the eyes to make them think you gained no such power. If they think you weak as you grow older and stronger, you will be able to reveal to them your true power as you strike at their hearts with fire, blade, and fear!"** From that, Naruto understood that Kyuubi had done something to make his eyes seem unaffected, when really he did have the red eyes!_

"_So..so that means I really do..have.." Naruto quieted down as he began to feel his eyes with the new found information, practically jumping with relief._

"_**Yes you simpleton, you still have the sharingan of the Uchiha."** He said the name as if it was dirt under his foot, making Naruto a little angry; how dare he treat his family's name like that._

_Kyuubi sensed the change in reaction and laughed in the boy's face._

"_**Please, you really think you are a true Uchiha? You have the name, the crest, even now you have their eyes..but what you don't have is their fiery hatred, the will to conquer. If I could have influenced that in your early stages, I would have, but it seemed as though your parents were thorough in your control over me. Honestly I'm surprised I was able to do such a simple trick as hide your eyes."** The blonde gasped at mention of his real parents, no one had told him anything of them._

_Then again, he never thought to ask anymore that he was living with the Uchiha._

"_You knew my parents?" Kyuubi eyed the boy, his mocking smirk gone replaced with an annoyed scowl._

"_**That is a tale that will come in time, boy." ** He said simply but realized he made it sound like these talks would be often and quickly rectified his words. **"But only I deign to decide when to speak to you, not the other way around! If I must be stuck in you, then it is my sad fate I will have to help you survive with my power, however, on my own terms."**_

"_Your power?" Kyuubi scowled, the boy knew nothing of what he held within._

"_**For now my chakra will grant you healing in addition to keeping up the facade you have your normal eyes, reveal the sharingan to no one until you are ready to live with the consequences."**_

"_Wh..what consequences?" Naruto didn't like the sound of that._

_Kyuubi glared at him and then shook his head in annoyance._

"_**The consequence of being a strong shinobi."**_

000

_Present Time_

Naruto had begun to wrap his head around what Kyuubi said when he was younger now that he had a grasp of a ninja's life, strong shinobi were historically hunted and fought over for their power. Of course they kept their own will and often ended fighting both sides of the tug-of-war, but one could not make their life like that. That was what led the Senju and Uchiha together into Konoha's founding, they could no longer take the tug of war that forced their clans to go against one another by villages and countries.

Naruto would use his sharingan to protect his important people, that was all that mattered to him in the end anyway. He would go all out to protect the two girls in front of him, no matter if it cost him his life.

_'I'll die to keep that love intact.'_

"Naruto? Are you okay, you spaced out for a moment." Mikoto looked at him worriedly as he just stood in the doorway looking at them with a blank stare.

He shook his head clear and waved off to the two.

"Yeah, just got lost for a moment there in thought, I'll go change." Mikoto and Sasuki glanced at each other and shrugged it off, Naruto still took some figuring out.

"Kaa-san, what will you be doing during school today?" Sasuki asked which surprised Mikoto, generally the girl had just accepted that Mikoto was quite busy with meetings and such.

"I have another meeting with the elders to review your..um, engagement with Naruto." Sasuki's eyes widened and she blushed from the reminder, uncharacteristic of her usual stoic behavior. "I might also get some information about which squad your in and who your sensei will be.." She hoped to arouse her daughter's interests but received nothing but a glance.

_'She is still trying to keep her thoughts off the subject..she is nervous they won't be on a team together because of their place in the class.'_

Naruto was ranked second to Sasuki amongst the other class of around twenty other academy students, making it seem as if the two would be spread amongst two teams to keep the skill level high. However, Mikoto had a good feeling that the two would be together for numerous reasons, one amongst them mother instinct.

_'And the elders would jump at the chance to have them be close at all times at the very least if the two end up having a child earlier than scheduled.'_ Not that Mikoto thought that either would do so, but they would enjoy each others company in comparison to the rest of the class.

"Alright.." Naruto yelled in a rumbuctious voice as he opened the door with a new black Uchiha collar shirt and a big smile. "You ready to go Suki-chan?" A bowl of half-eaten rice was his answer as the annoyed girl walked past him and toward the front door.

"What did I tell you about the name?" It was his pet name for her like Miko-chan, but Sasuki was embarrassed by it and tried to make him stop.

Secretly he knew she loved it as he saw her blush many a time when they were alone but he often did it just to tease her. He quickly began to pick up the rice so he could catch up but a soft hand grabbed his, making him stop and look to see his smiling mother.

"Go on Naruto, I don't want you late for school. My meeting doesn't start for a while anyway." Naruto looked unsure but with an embarrassing peck on his cheek the blonde ran out of the house to catch up with his annoyed sister.

Mikoto laughed as she picked up the food, he was too easy to tease.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Ninja Academy_

The two Uchiha made it on time, surprising with how much time they wasted at home. As they entered the schoolyard, a combination of Sasuki's presence and the Uchiha crest brought eyes toward them. The rumor mill began to spin as it did everyday as Naruto and Sasuki walked closely with one another, practically holding hands.

It wasn't that there was some rules they couldn't reveal their relationship to the other kids or anything, they were just still embarrassed. The explaining that both didn't want to do along with obvious comments made about them afterward were most easily kept at bay by keeping a certain distance from one another until they were ready.

Nonetheless, it didn't stop the word from spreading.

"_Uchiha Sasuki and Naruto..they awfully look close for brother and sister."_

"_Why didn't they tell anyone they were related, I had to find out from my tou-san!"_

"_Almost looks like they're going out, she is way too good for him."_

"_I wish I was Naruto, he doesn't deserve that."_

"_Sasuki is so amazing, too bad her image is wrecked when the blonde stays so close by."_

Naruto's Uchiha name didn't stop people from despising him, it just gave them more varied reasons. Whether it be from jealousy, hatred of the Nine Tails, or even envy of skills or stature Naruto was still a target. He didn't mind it so much as he grew up with it half of his life, Sasuki on the other hand still got annoyed.

"You shouldn't have to take that Naruto.." She mumbled, wondering if he could even hear her as they entered the classroom away from most of the kids.

"Its okay Sasuki.." Naruto wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her in for a hug, making her blush as a few other seated kids saw. "As long as I have you and Kaa-san, I don't care what they say."

Sasuki didn't push him away like she used to, instead she liked this warm feeling inside her when they were close. Naruto was waiting for her to get angry and push him away but instead she leaned in closer and gave a happy sigh as she closed her eyes dreamily.

"I guess so..baka." Naruto blushed as they parted a bit to sit down in their chairs, next to one another in the far off left corner of the class, mostly just to discourage kids from coming close to them.

Sasuki got out of her daze as Naruto's arm left her to sit down and she quickly assumed her usual position, eyes front and hands interlaced giving her a bored look. This suited her because it kept boys away and let the teacher know she was still paying attention, even when she wasn't.

"Alright class, get seated!" Iruka and Mizuki entered, both with clipboards that would no doubt be used for their final test grading.

The kids scrambled to find their seats, a few boys glanced over at the Uchiha to see Naruto's impenetrable defense of Sasuki still remained, she sat on the far chair with the wall right next to her and he took the middle preventing anyone else from sitting by her. The worst part was she never gave any thought or sympathy to them when they wanted to sit by her, instead allowing her brother to do as he pleased.

A few girls did in fact like Naruto, but were too scared Sasuki would do something or too nervous to do anything about it. They also figured out along with the boys that whether they were siblings or not, the two did not seem interested in anything else other than each other whenever they were seen.

Iruka surveyed the class to ensure they were all quiet and listening, landing on the Uchiha pair with a small smirk. The two were sure to ace the test with their grades and it would be his honor to pass them after the hard work they put in, no matter how much they acted like it was just simple chores.

_'I don't know what kind of training Mikoto Uchiha-sama does to them to make them so at ease with our training regimen, but it definitely shows. They have no one even close to their scores in academics or ninja training..'_

In all honesty they could have graduated early, but the Hokage requested they stay in for the full run along with permission from Mikoto. Whatever reason they wanted them to stay with the class was beyond Iruka, but there were admittedly few who could be a match for them as a team-mate.

"Today we will finish the three part graduation exam as we finished taking the written exam on monday, the ninja tool exercise yesterday, and now for your jutsu test today. Those who pass with overall acceptable scores and perform to at least a 70% in each category will be allowed to move on and graduate from the academy." The usual excited murmurs came up and Iruka waved them off as he indicated a door near the chalkboard.

"The test will take place in there where Mizuki and I will test you on the bunshin jutsu." Mizuki just finished writing the order of students to come up on the chalkboard as the two prepared to depart.

"Please follow the order Mizuki-sensei has written on the board, first student Shino Aburame please come with us to the testing area." Shino felt eyes on him as he slowly got up and followed the teachers into the room leaving the rest to their thoughts.

The usual glances made no surprise to the Uchiha as they waited patiently, Naruto emulated Sasuki's serous pose in an attempt to annoy her and he realized it was working as she sent him a glare.

"Idiot..you know why I try and look serious all the time.." Naruto smiled and brought his arm around her again to tease her making all eyes tune to the area immediately.

"Of course Sasuki-chan, but I don't like you being serious all the time. I like seeing you smile too.." She blushed and allowed him to pull her closer for a hug; the moment ended when they both felt they weren't alone.

Naruto looked behind him to see a boy from their class, Hibachi, standing in the aisle with crossed arms and an annoyed but cocky look on his face. The only way they remembered who he was because of two things, his bandanna and the fact that he didn't like Naruto because he was always with Sasuki.

To her, he was nothing. To him, it was his ticket to popularity to date her and become the next boy Uchiha. Naruto was always in his way though and when he saw her smile when he put his arm around her, Hibachi decided now was the time to make a move while the teachers were out.

"Hey you, back off her." He said with a tough guy voice but failed when Naruto and Sasuki heard him squeak as the Uchiha turned to glare at him.

"She's my family, you don't have a say in what we do." Sasuki liked the way Naruto spoke with an edge to his voice especially since he was defending her.

"Y-yeah well she didn't look to happy about it." Hibachi defended with a stutter, feeling the class begin to snicker behind his back.

"What do you want?" Sasuki asked with an attitude, he was annoying her when she was about to get closer to Naruto during class.

"Sasuki-san..I think that sense we're both gonna be genin soon and that means we both will be strong, its time I ask you out on a date. Drop this loser of a brother.." Naruto's glare intensified as he paused before continuing in a mumble. "_and go out with me._"

Sasuki wanted to roll her eyes, if the guy thought she would pity him he was very wrong. Whether he knew it or not Sasuki was taken and she didn't even know the kid to begin with, so she decided to let Naruto handle it.

"Naru-kun, get rid of him for me." Naruto smirked, never taking his eyes off of Hibachi as he stood up and cracked his knuckles.

"You got it Suki-chan. Any requests?" The class fell deathly silent as Hibachi began to shake in fear, they were being serious weren't they?

He got rejected _and_ he was going to get beat up in the same day? Not if he had anything to say about it.

"I-I'm not afraid of y-you.." He took a basic stance of defense as Sasuki's deadly smirk unnerved him as she gave Naruto one rule.

"No blood on me." Naruto took a step forward making the boy flinch, he took a long stride so he was now crouching low under Hibachi's body and sent a single uppercut right into his jaw.

The boy felt pain as he momentarily was lifted off the ground and then sent flying across a desk when Naruto kicked him in the stomach. He landed on the other side of the room and, trying his best to nurse his pride, dragged himself back to his seat as Naruto returned to his spot with Sasuki.

"Nice Naruto..but the kick was a little too much for him I think." Naruto scratched the back of his head displaying a carefree smile, weirding some out after he showed such an evil smirk before.

"Sorry, guess I forgot my own strength." Sasuki just shook her head in disbelief and returned to her world of boredom until they were called in.

It was obvious of their outcome though to everyone in the school.

The Uchiha had passed their final test.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage's Mansion_

_Office_

"And so you still remember the terms to our agreement, Uchiha-dono?" The elders and Hokage were once again with Mikoto in a meeting basically to review on their past agreements.

"Yes elders.." She sighed in exasperation, the amount of times they asked that over the past few years and they still thought she would conveniently forget. "I know the terms of the CRA, Sasuki must have a child by sixteen and myself by Naruto's age of eighteen." The elders nodded and was glad she remembered.

"A shame that boy did not take to the transplant, the sharingan could have strengthened him further." Mikoto was actually somewhat happy compared to their disappointment, it meant Naruto would still be _normal_.

A set of sharingan eyes were not exactly subtle, especially to his classmates. If the transplant had worked, she would have definitely encouraged Naruto to hide them to keep his strength secret. But thoughts of it didn't matter much as they were past that opportunity.

"Moving on..I'm sure Mikoto-dono would appreciate a break from the usual questioning you two give her.." The Hokage stepped in after the silence, ignoring the glares sent by his team-mates. "It came to my attention that you wanted to see the finalized list of teams is that correct?"

Mikoto nodded, she was quite anxious to see exactly who her children ended up with although she was surely not going to be surprised after the amount of _recommendations_ she gave the Hokage. Truthfully, there was only one Jonin who had the qualifications to push them to their limits and further train Sasuki's dojutsu.

Hatake Kakashi.

"As you requested and I supported, Jonin Hatake Kakashi has been appointed to lead Team 7. The squad consists of Sasuki, Naruto, and Shino Aburame." Mikoto thought over the Aburame boy, she didn't suggest him but it wasn't a bad choice.

Her children excelled in ninjutsu and taijutsu, combine the offensive power with the Aburame's brains and hidden clan jutsu and they would make a deadly combination. A hybrid of tracking and offense, a kill team is what she likened it to.

"The Aburame? Odd choice Hiruzen.." Koharu muttered as she tried to figure out the Hokage's choice in the third member.

Hiruzen merely shrugged and gave a who-knows smile.

"They could get along very well together as I see particular links in their personalities, as well as having a good combination of skills that will make them a lethal force as they grow. Under Kakashi's tutelage, I have no doubt they will be the strongest if not most successful team Konoha produces for many years to come." Mikoto was glad to hear his praise of her children, sensing no deception in his words as she often found with the empty compliments of the elders.

She almost preferred Danzo, at least he told her straight up they hated each other.

Better than doing it behind her back.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Streets_

_Sunset_

Naruto had taken Sasuki on their first 'official' date to celebrate graduation, in reality it was just a fun little lunch they had together after they got out of school. The two really felt their awkwardness disappear as they just spent time together eating out at the small restaurant together without parental supervision and the feeling of being suddenly a lot older than they really were.

The reactions from the populace who saw them together was relatively positive, many of the younger townsfolk saw them as a cute couple and younger boys and girls swooned in jealousy of their pair. Even then, some ninja and older civilians who remembered the attack clearly still saw Naruto as the Nine Tails and refused to acknowledge the heiress would choose such a thing to be with.

Naruto was walking along with Sasuki who had her hands hidden in her pockets and her hair swaying behind her as they made their way home. Naruto was just looking up at the sky with an odd, thoughtful face as they walked along and Sasuki was somewhat annoyed that he was paying more attention to the sky than her. They had just gotten off their first date as much as he didn't consider it one and now he wouldn't even hold her hand home.

She took a daring glance at his as it hung limply at his sides, swaying back and forth a bit with each step. A blush crept over her face as she took her right hand out of her pocket and made for a grab.

_'I don't really know why..but I just don't care what people say when they see us holding hands..I just want him to hold me a little closer..'_

Just before she could grab his hand and take it in hers, he stopped walking making her just brush against it. Naruto looked into the sky again as he didn't even notice Sasuki's actions; his instincts had been right, there was something very wrong.

Bathed in a sheen of orange and with a bit of glare, Mizuki was very difficult for Naruto to see off in the distance but the boy could see the large scroll on his back. It seemed like their teacher was making a late withdrawal from the Hokage Mansion and no one was trying to stop him.

"Naruto..what's the matter?" Sasuki was getting a bit worried as well as annoyed, he rarely acted like this and it was scaring her.

Naruto looked at her for what felt like the first time since they left their date spot and she could easily tell his fake smile from his real one. Naruto didn't want to freak her out and decided he would investigate alone, it was probably nothing anyway.

"Its nothing, I just remembered something I had to get. Go on ahead and welcome Kaa-san, tell her I'll give her a back rub when I get back." Sasuki was confused and angry as he jumped away into the lowering sun as night began to fall, why did Naruto show her his fake smile?

_'He hasn't done that..since we were little.'_ He would give that smile when they would walk the streets and people would glare at him, she would ask and he would just smile and shrug it off.

With age, Sasuki could tell hate from the look but Naruto still would not admit to anything. Mikoto acted as if there was nothing to talk about, but she sensed the two knew more than they let on.

_'I'm not letting you do whatever you're doing alone, Naruto.'_

Sasuki jumped off after him, hoping she could catch up in time.

000

_Konohagakure Outskirts_

_Abandoned Shed_

Mizuki landed with ease at his hideout and with an unbridled smirk unstrapped the large scroll on his back. His plunder was too easy to get as the guards had become lax at the end of the day allowing him to sneak into the archives without much fuss. He wondered if he could risk a peek to learn a technique or two for himself, of course to strengthen his bond with his soon-to-be leader, Orochimaru.

This was his key for power but both opportunities offered something great of value.

His thoughts of grandeur were cut off when he sensed a new presence and turned to see the Uchiha, it seemed as if the kid was really following him after all. He had hoped it was just nerves but the blonde was as good as they say and the kid deserved praise. That was if Mizuki really cared about being his teacher, which he obviously didn't.

With the Nine-Tails in his grasp, he could kill or capture him to further Orochimaru's power. Everything seemed to be going his way today.

Mizuki's sickening smirk seemed to confirm what Naruto feared as it seemed the teacher had cracked, either becoming a traitor or going insane for power. Either way, there was no way he was supposed to have the Scroll of Sealing and it was Naruto's duty as a genin of Konoha to stop him. That was what he had earned the headband for that now was worn proudly on his forehead.

"Ah..so the Kyuubi brat decides to be the village hero and show up?" Naruto stiffened, that was the first time anyone had directly referred to him in relation with Kyuubi.

Even though he knew the beast was inside him, it didn't make things any easier on him to hear that. Unfortunately, Mizuki noticed the change in stance and decided to press the wound.

"Oh? Surprised I know that Naruto? _Everyone_ knows..your friends, your teachers, the ninja who pretend to protect you, even the Hokage.._and they all HATE you_ for it." His venom seeped into Naruto's veins and he felt on fire with anger and fear, was that really why he felt so separated?

Could people hate him so much that they would exile him to a life of solitude even as a child?

The answer became all to clear to him as Naruto brought a hand to his face, now embattled with his own inner conflict. Mizuki stalked forward as he was ready to point the dagger at the boy's heart, the Uchiha.

"Did you think Mikoto-san didn't know? _Of course_ she knew! The Uchiha died to Kyuubi just as well as any other ninja and they hated you for it too, even now she took you in because she pitied you. Maybe she planned to kill you but developed some sick sense of humor in keeping you as her pet.." Naruto sunk to his knees, this was too much for him to think about.

"Stop it..stop it please!" Mizuki undid the strap on his large shuriken attached to his back and began to work it into a spin as he still approached with that sickening smirk.

"And don't even get me started on your _precious sister_ Sasuki..she'll throw you away faster than I can throw th-"

"STOP IT!"

"Or what Kyuubi boy? Let's see you stop this!" Mizuki let loose the shuriken, tired of his game as he realized the boy was already broken; he sobbed on the ground and did not make to avoid the shuriken.

"Naruto, snap out of it!" He looked up to see Sasuki holding the shuriken in place, one hand in the center wheel while the other rested comfortably on one of the blades.

His sister had stopped the killing blow to the Kyuubi boy, why did she? Naruto then saw her stiffen up a bit and grunt in pain, both hands were laced with blood as it trickled down her fingers to the ground. She had caught the shuriken initially with her hands on the blades due to a bad angle in her positioning but it was the only way she could see in saving Naruto.

She had heard all of what Mizuki said, even the part describing Naruto as Kyuubi. There were a few things she didn't understand still, like how Naruto had Kyuubi inside him and what that meant for him, but she did know that what he was saying about her and Mikoto wasn't true. They loved Naruto no matter who or what he was, they were family and that was tighter than any other bond.

"Sasuki..why?" She heard him croak out the question in mid-sob. "I'm..the keeper of a monster..I don't deserve this.." Sasuki frowned, he was so vulnerable right now after Mizuki's barrage; she would think it cute if the situation was different.

"Naruto.." He looked at her and saw her flashing him a confident smile, very rare of Sasuki to do.

The last time she did that was when Naruto mastered the fireball technique at the pier, that was the day he had become a true Uchiha. Mikoto and Sasuki were so proud and he had never felt closer to them afterward. Now it seemed that smile was his salvation in the face of defeat.

"That's what brothers and sisters are supposed to do, because we're family." Naruto couldn't believe she said that, it reminded him of the past times she had said the same thing.

Mizuki just stood there, annoyed at how she brought him back from the brink with just a few words.

"Besides.." She turned back to glare at Mizuki, signaling their fight was back on. "If my baka of a fiance goes and gets himself killed, who will I marry then?"

"Damn brat, is that all you can do is talk?" Sasuki smirked and readied the shuriken to throw back at him with just as much ferocity as when it was first used.

"You should know _sensei_, you tested me after all."

000

Well, that chapter is done and I left off with a (I'm sure to be) killer cliffy. Sorry but it just felt right to leave off there and besides I've got things to do and people to see.

Enjoy the latest chapter of Blonde Uchiha and tell me what you thought in a review!

Bye.


	5. Our Bonds Are Stronger

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 5

Our Bonds Are Stronger

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now nearing the completion of the academy while Mikoto remained in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

What's up guys, I'm here with a new chapter. And yes I know about last chapters ending and how it didn't go over so well, I think it was because I rushed it. I should have led into it a bit more subtly instead of pushing it all in that one spot of a few sentences but I was in a rush. At least you got where I went with it though, Naruto was mentally vulnerable after what Mizuki said and Sasuki helped allay those fears.

If you are also a reader of _Birth of an Assassin_, I have a poll on my profile that pertains to the story. Please go vote.

000

_Konohagakure Outskirts_

_Abandoned Shed_

Mizuki glared at Sasuki, who was she to speak so high and mighty to _him_? An instructor at Konoha Academy, a Chunin ninja and one of Orochimaru's future chosen? It was blasphemy. He would teach her a lesson for getting in his way with the demon brat. The fight would have to be quick though, no doubt the village was on alert by now with the stolen scroll.

Sasuki stood in front of the prone Naruto in a defensive position in case the man tried to get at him again. She didn't know what his angle was attacking Naruto's emotions like that, but he would pay for it. There was no way this man, not even a Chunin of the Leaf, could beat an Uchiha prodigy like her, or Naruto for that matter. It would be over quick and the two could go back to the village as heroes.

Naruto didn't know what to do. He willed his body to move, to stand with Sasuki, but it wouldn't.

_'Damn these feelings..I can't move!'_

"I'm leaving right now, this is your chance to step back and forget you saw me. Take it..or don't." Mizuki threatened, hoping to scare them.

It only served to anger Sasuki further.

"How dare you say that after what you did to Naruto! I won't let you get away for that.." Sasuki exclaimed, getting into a battle ready stance.

Mizuki gritted his teeth, it seemed as though he wasn't going to talk his way out of this one. He readied another giant shuriken and gripped it tightly in his left hand. He made a sudden dash forward toward the two Uchiha and made the shuriken spin into a mighty whirlwind, increasing its piercing strength. Sasuki brought her own shuriken up to defend against his diagonal slash but was shocked to see the weapon break under pressure.

She rolled out of the way but was quickly forced back on the defensive as Mizuki threw the large shuriken at her, forcing her to jump backward toward the shed. Mizuki knew that would be too easy for the girl to dodge so he grabbed a few more small shuriken from his pack and launched them at the spot where the girl would land.

_'That should be enough to keep her occupied.'_ A sudden new presence forced him to look toward the trees as he noticed the green of a Konoha flak vest and knew that he had been caught.

"Damn!" Mizuki leaped backward and threw a kunai at Naruto, it wasn't clear whether he wanted to wound Naruto..or to keep the new arrival distracted.

Naruto watched as if in slow motion as the kunai flew toward him, a piece of paper whistled in the wind as it was strung to the kunai.

_'An explosive tag.'_ He thought absently, not realizing just how dangerous the weapon was.

His eyes widened as it got closer and a bright white light blinded him and forced his eyes shut.

A scream echoed through the trees as night fell on the forest.

000

Naruto quickly opened his eyes to see that he was indeed alive, the attack intended for him had missed its mark. The result was obvious though, a small crater was still smoldering a few feet away from him. Foreign hands were over his head and a larger body was covering his own in protection.

Iruka checked Naruto with his own eyes to see that the boy was alright, if not a bit shell-shocked from the blast. At the last moment, Iruka had landed next to Naruto and deflected the weapon into an angled arc, making it hit the ground away from them as he pushed Naruto the ground. While there wasn't much time to pay attention, he did remember a scream as the blast went off and quickly checked his surroundings.

What he saw made him gasp in terror.

Sasuki was up against the shed's wall, a few shuriken surrounded her on the ground; those were the ones she had time to deflect. The large shuriken had imbedded itself in the wall, keeping one of her arms pinned between two of its blades but otherwise not harming her; two more smaller shuriken had dug their teeth into her opposite shoulder and leg, immobilizing her. The scream was a combination of pain that she had not experienced before and seeing the hostile weapon get close to Naruto.

As Sasuki looked at the scene in front of her now, a flood of relief washed over her seeing Naruto alive and well. Iruka quickly ran over to her and removed the large shuriken from the wall, sending splinters out toward the man and the ground. The next two were tricky as he did not want to harm the Uchiha and his student, but he knew that it wasn't good to leave them in or they would only further wound her with movement.

"Hang on Sasuki-san..I'm going to remove the shuriken. It will hurt-" Sasuki just glared at him and he quickly began as Naruto picked himself up and ran over to join his teacher and sister.

Groans ensued as the two bloody weapons were removed and thrown to the ground, leaving Sasuki bleeding and Naruto even worse off than before. It was his fault she had those wounds and a sense of guilt and anger festered inside of him. His body had been in shock and wouldn't move, but it was his fault he did not snap out of the fugue sooner to stop Mizuki that his sister and love was hurt.

He couldn't take back what had happened, but he could get revenge. Right now.

"Mizuki got away.." Sasuki grunted, looking in the direction he took off.

Iruka looked at the girl, amazed she was still in the mood to fight with her challenging tone. With her wounds though, she would only hinder herself in battle and make them worse. Reinforcements could be alerted at the village once he took her to the hospital, but they wouldn't find him in time. It looked like he would have to send Naruto with Sasuki while he pursued his former friend, alone.

"Naru-" Iruka was once again cut off as the boy looked at him with what he could only tell was a look of revenge.

"Sensei..please take my sister to the hospital. I will pursue Mizuki and retrieve the Scroll of Sealing." Naruto looked at Sasuki and saw concern in her eyes even if she was the one wounded.

"But Naruto, you can't take him on alone! You aren't in the condition to-" Naruto gave her a knowing look and she quieted down.

Something in his eyes told her to calm down, to trust him, so she obeyed.

"Its my fault you got hurt Sasuki..you had to protect me while I couldn't do anything to save you. Now I have to finish what I started, stop Mizuki..and make him pay for hurting you." Sasuki blushed as Iruka almost fell over at the sudden turn of events.

What happened to a simple situation?

"Naruto, you don't have the skill level required to fight Mizuki. He's a Chunin and you are just barely a genin graduate from the academy. I know him personally and all of his skills, plus my judgment isn't clouded with revenge." Naruto glared at his sensei, he was right but that didn't stop him from knowing he had to take that guy down.

"I'm sorry Sensei, but I'm the one that caught up to Mizuki first. I started this, and I'm going to finish it too. We don't have time to argue and my sister needs treatment. I'll be back soon!" Naruto leaped off into the trees with Iruka and Sasuki watching him leave, powerless to stop him.

"Hey Naru-" The boy was already gone so Iruka resorted to shouting his last order. "Alright! But I'm on my way back as soon as I drop Sasuki off!" He looked back at the girl and knelt down, offering his shoulder.

Sasuki looped her unwounded arm over his back and felt him grab her around the waist to support her. Her brother was going off to get revenge and she was forced to head back to the village. Naruto might not be able to forgive himself for what happened to her, but it would be the same if he got hurt or killed going off because of Sasuki's wounds.

With no way of being there with him physically, Sasuki settled for a prayer as they began their trek to the village.

_'Stay safe, Naruto.'_

000

_Konohagakure_

Mikoto was still inside the compound, going over some papers when she felt someone coming. The pounding at the gate let her know the guest had arrived and she quickly went to see what they could want at such a late hour. Her children were still not home but she wasn't _too_ concerned as they were most likely with one another wherever they were.

Arriving at the gate, Mikoto opened it to find a Chunin heavily breathing from jumping around place to place. It was his job to get the word out about the missing scroll and recruit ninja to help search for it. He had no idea about the missing Uchiha children and what he was in store for in the Uchiha compound. All he knew was the Hokage's order and that the Uchiha were quite capable ninja, from the ones that were left that was.

"Yes, what is it?" Mikoto didn't know the young man's name in particular but stayed polite, it had to be urgent if they were coming at this odd hour.

A slight moment of fear crept over her thinking of the children but she brushed it aside.

"Uchiha-san, the Hokage has put out a general alert within the village. The Scroll of Sealing has been stolen and we need help tracking down the one who took it. The guards along the wall have not said of anyone trying to escape, so we figure he's still within the village somewhere. Would you please help us search?" Mikoto was shocked such an important artifact could be stolen right from under the Hokage but knew the gravity of the situation.

If those jutsu got out, it would make the world a _lot _more dangerous than it already was.

"Yes, I will begin searching as soon as I get in proper dress. Please excuse me." The Chunin nodded and jumped off into the night to alert others while Mikoto headed back to her home to change.

Her usual attire was of her apron with a shirt and pants underneath, nothing special. It had been a while since Mikoto had worn her ninja gear but this situation she felt required it. Besides, she was a Jounin of the village and should every once in a while remind herself and everyone else of the fact. Within her bedroom was where she kept her old ninja gear, where she had left it the day she retired to take care of Sasuki.

Mikoto undressed herself down to her black panties and quickly grabbed her black tank top, a tight sleeveless with the Uchiha fan on the back. Next she put on the standard Jounin flak vest, it completely covered the top underneath but let her cleavage breathe as she unzipped it a bit. Her pants were a standard affair, dark blue with a pair of sandals to complete the outfit. Any ninja tool she needed was already packed in her hip pouch and Mikoto was ready to go.

She left the gate closed behind her as she began to jump across the village, searching for anything suspicious. In the back of her mind she was also keeping her eye out for Sasuki and Naruto. Those two weren't as disciplined as the older ninja but they could still help search. Without much to go on their suspect though, Mikoto had no idea where to look or who she was looking for.

_'Well, if I had to guess they probably aren't in town anymore. The other Jounin would have searched there already and it would be too obvious. The scroll must be in the forest somewhere..'_ Mikoto stopped on a rooftop to take in her surroundings before she would move on.

Around her, blurs in the night could be seen as shinobi desperately searched for the thief. Even in the darkness of Konoha, Mikoto could make out the lavender eyes of Hyuuga search parties using their infamous Byakugan kekkei genkai. With them on the search it surely wouldn't take much longer and once she saw the Ino-Shika-Cho senior group running through the village she realized how serious the situation was to everyone.

"No sense standing around.." Mikoto leaped off again in search of the culprit but felt a certain amount of hopelessness in her search.

What made her have any better chance of finding him than a Hyuuga?

A blast of wind made her hair whip back as an ANBU squad landed on the rooftop she was on. They ran past her to their next destination, not paying her too much mind. The squad leader just gave the clan head a courteous nod before she leaped off after her squad.

"Sorry Uchiha-sama." Were her parting words in startling Mikoto when they arrived.

She cursed herself, getting jumpy over something so simple. Mikoto moved again, this time closer to the center of the city where the Hokage mansion was. Maybe the culprit had come back to survey their crime? That was what Fugaku had told her was one of the most common mistakes a criminal made.

Instead of seeing a criminal though, she saw what she never wanted to see.

Sasuki was on the back of a Chunin, she knew him as Iruka. He was their homeroom teacher and had just recently approved their graduation to genin. While this fact alone worried her, even from their distance of a dozen buildings or so she could make out some cuts or wounds on her daughter. This made her act on reflex and move to check on her herself as the mother.

"Sasuki!" Iruka touched down and saw an incoming figure, to his surprise it was the girl's mother and head of the Uchiha clan.

And she looked like she was about to kill something.

Sasuki looked up from Iruka's shoulder to see who called her name, instantaneously she was surprised to see her mother coming toward her. Iruka let her down and allowed the wounded girl to go to her mother's arms where she belonged. The Chunin smiled for a moment as the two met and embraced, that was one good ending to the night.

"Oh Sasuki..I thought the worst when I saw you on Iruka's back!" Mikoto rubbed her daughter's back and desperately held on, afraid she would lose her if she let go.

Sasuki was glad her mother was concerned but she was losing feeling in her body from her mother squeezing along with pain from the wounds.

"Mother..if you keep squeezing me it might make these worse." Mikoto realized she was speaking of her wounds and immediately backed off with a layer of concern touching her.

Her eyes widened at the latest realization.

_'Where is Naruto? Where is my son?'_

"Where is Naruto?" Sasuki looked depressed for a moment and hesitated in answering, making Mikoto's fears go wild in her mind.

Iruka was quick to jump in, "He pursued Mizuki, Mikoto-sama. He is the thief of the Scroll of Sealing and the one who did this to your daughter. I wasn't able to stop him so I decided to bring Sasuki back to the hospital and go after him once I was done." Mikoto took a deep breath and processed the information, it was better than what she had first thought.

"Iruka, please go and bring Naruto to me. I know my children are ninja now..but we both know that there are opponents that they just can't handle. I almost lost Sasuki and I don't want to lose Naruto over a scroll." Iruka nodded and took one last concerned look at Sasuki, the girl seemed to have trouble with her wounds still untreated.

Mikoto read his thoughts and allayed them.

"Don't worry, I will be taking my daughter to the hospital right after this. You can bring Naruto there when you get him..and then I will have a stern talk for both of you." She left the sentence on a hard note as she looked at Sasuki who could only look to the ground in embarrassment.

Iruka sent a sympathetic smile her way before leaping off the building toward the forest to find Naruto. It hadn't been too long since they had separated, so Iruka was hopeful that he could find them both in time. If he didn't..well he didn't want to know how Mikoto would react to such news.

Naruto may not have been seen as an Uchiha by most of the populace, but Mikoto acted like he was her flesh and blood.

Mikoto watched him leave before getting her daughter situated on her back as it seemed her leg wasn't good enough to jump on anymore.

"Hang on Sasuki, we're going." The woman felt her daughter nod into her back as her arms looped around her neck.

Mikoto began to make her way to the hospital, albeit at a slower pace now. There were many questions she wanted to ask but knew better than to make her daughter feel even worse.

"What were you two doing before you decided to chase after Mizuki?" She suddenly asked, not so sure she herself knew why.

Sasuki thought back to earlier that day, after they had chosen their headbands and been told they had passed their exam.

_'Naruto chose black and I chose blue..everyone looked so jealous of how good we looked together.'_

"We went on a date..to celebrate graduating." She added the last part as an afterthought to comfort her mother because she jumped at the word of 'date'.

Mikoto was surprised they were moving that fast in their relationship, she still thought of them as children playing at the thought of being together. Then again, Mikoto had no real grasp on 'real' relationships; she and Fugaku had been promised to each other at a later age and were producing heirs when they should have been dating and having fun. Either way, she was happy that they were getting along so well.

"I see..how was he?" Sasuki recognized the tenderness in her mother's voice, something she only heard when she was interested or approved of something with a smile.

That was when she knew her mother was smiling, and she began to smile too.

"He was wonderful kaa-san. Everything I wanted him to be when I dreamed about the future when we were young..but I was kind of disappointed at the end of it." Mikoto felt her daughter frown and wondered what happened.

"What? Did he do something wrong?" Sasuki just shook her head.

"I wanted to hold hands but..then he saw Mizuki and started this whole mess. I guess I was being selfish to want to hold his hand in front of everybody." Mikoto actually felt like laughing but kept it in.

"Oh don't worry Suki-chan. There will be plenty of chances in the future to hold his hand, especially in front of everyone in Konoha." Her daughter calmed at that and it wasn't long before they arrived at the hospital.

The doctors and nurses were taken a bit a by surprise but quickly set the Uchiha up with their own medical suite and began to heal Sasuki immediately. While her injuries were somewhat serious, they were nowhere near life threatening and it wasn't long before the girl was better than before. Mikoto insisted she rest a while since they had to wait for Naruto arrive anyway.

Mikoto stared out the window of their room, tapping lightly on the wall as she waited for any sign of their arrival. Her tapping steadily increased as her stress grew, this was no laughing matter to her. Naruto was as loved in the Uchiha household as any pureblood, son or daughter, tailed beast or no.

To have him out of her sight, in danger was a difficult feeling to grasp. She knew she would have to get used to the fact, he was a ninja now. Missions to far off nations and even wars to fight in were not outside of his grasp anymore and they were something he would have to face alone.

_'No.'_ She corrected herself with a glance to Sasuki. _'They will face them together.'_

A light knock on the door made both Uchiha turn to see the Hokage enter with a few ANBU. Mikoto tensed on reflex but relaxed as the old man smiled and walked up to her, grasping her shoulder in comfort as the ANBU took up defensive positions at the door.

"I heard what happened from a messenger Iruka ran into on his way to Naruto. I thought it best to wait here for his victorious return so I could congratulate and reward him for his job well done." Mikoto smiled at his thoughtfulness but then had a quizzical look, reward him?

Hiruzen turned to see Sasuki weakly stare at him, trying her best to stay awake for when Naruto would return. He walked over and gently took her hand in his, giving her a slight grip to keep her awake.

"Thank you for what you did as well Sasuki-chan. If it wasn't for you, Naruto would never have gotten over his insecurities of being a jinchuuriki, nor would he have become a strong ninja like his parents. You are in my debt for taking care of him..as are you Mikoto." He looked back at the mother and saw her confused look which he sought to fix.

"You see Mikoto..there are a few things about Naruto and his past that you should know..or if you haven't already guessed them, allow me to confirm them. To start with.."

And then Hiruzen enlightened the two Uchiha on Naruto's _real_ past, just who was behind the making of what could be someday the strongest ninja in Konoha. At the end of it, their eyes felt more open than before and their respect and love for Naruto only grew. Hiruzen told them of how he would handle telling Naruto of his heritage, letting him know a piece now and then the whole story upon his promotion to Chunin.

When they were all in agreement over what would be said, there was only one thing left to do; wait.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Forest_

It didn't take long for Naruto to catch the rat and Mizuki knew that the confrontation would be unavoidable at this point. His only hope was that it wouldn't delay him too much from his goal of escaping with the scroll to give to his master, Orochimaru. The man wasn't known for patience and he was already behind schedule as it was; a squad of Sound ninja were waiting outside to escort him safely, but if he delayed too long they would leave without him.

That was something he could not allow, especially if it was caused by the demon brat.

Naruto knew the man wouldn't stop willingly so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He grabbed a few shuriken and threw them right at the man, forcing him to adopt an erratic pattern of jumping to avoid being hit. This caused him to slow down considerably and let the blonde catch up where he was finally in range for jutsu.

Mizuki sensed the boy's presence and turned around only to have a wire wrap around his wrist and hold him in place. He looked up to see Naruto on a higher tree branch, the wire in his mouth as he went through a few hand signs. This made the chunin fearful of the wire and quickly grabbed a kunai to slice through it. It was to his horror that he realized the wire was tougher than he thought and the kunai did nothing but tighten its grip.

_'Time to show you what I learned from kaa-san's jutsu library.'_

Fire shot from Naruto's mouth down the wire and engulfed Mizuki's clothed arm and set him on fire. This made him panic less from pain and more from the shock value of being on fire. Naruto let the wire go and followed him to the ground as he desperately swatted his arm against the dirt to get rid of the fire, in the process dropping the Scroll of Sealing.

Naruto saw it and wondered whether it would be better to grab it and run or take care of Mizuki. Thoughts of what the man had done to Sasuki ran through his mind and that settled it, he would take care of the traitor for sure.

Mizuki had planned for a counterattack though and as soon as his arm had been saved began weaving hand signs. Naruto saw the danger and leaped back up onto the tree branch, recognizing the serpent sign used in earth jutsu.

"**Doton: Retsudo Tenshō!"** Mizuki slammed his fist into the ground and Naruto felt the ground shake around him and realized his perch wasn't as safe as he thought it was.

Without much further delay, the ground collapsed in on itself and threatened to take the tree, and Naruto with it. The boy leaped off of it and hit the ground in a tough barrel roll to soak up the energy of the landing. He didn't get much time to recover though as Mizuki came up and kicked him right in the gut as he tried to stand, sending him back and forcing him into a tree.

"Let's see your girlfriend save you this time, Nine Tails!" Mizuki grabbed a kunai and dashed forward, knowing that the boy got the wind knocked out of him and wouldn't be able to move.

Naruto watched as Mizuki charged him, cursing himself for lowering his defense. He began to move agonizingly slow, attempting to reach for his own kunai; it was do or die and he knew it. Their kunai would meet and one of them would die, it was the only way the battle could come to an end.

As the battle came to its climax, the other entity within Naruto felt it was time the ruse came off. For its own self-preservation, Kyuubi made the decision to free Naruto from his shackles for once.

"_**Alright boy, send some chakra to your eyes! Its time you used the sharingan, or else you won't be able to react to his attack in time."**_

Naruto pushed the surprise aside from Kyuubi speaking with him outside of the mindscape and did as he was told, allowing his undeveloped sharingan to show. While he wasn't adept at using it, this being his first time, he could easily take advantage of its effects. Mizuki and the world slowed down around him as he predicted the man's movements and allowed himself to match them. This new power, along with inspiring thoughts of his family in Konoha gave Naruto the strength to reach for his kunai and meet Mizuki in mid-dash.

It had all happened so fast for the Chunin, he did not even have time to react when Naruto's kunai plunged deep into his stomach. Surprise was the first emotion, how did this boy have the skill to meet his own and exceed it? Then realization dawned on him, somehow he had gotten the sharingan from his new family and he had used it on him. He felt cheated out of victory, he was so close to power he could taste it!

Mizuki slumped forward, his hand landing on Naruto's shoulder as he held the pose of stabbing Mizuki. A grin spread on the older man's mouth as his life force drained out on the earth below and he whispered a few choice words to Naruto as his last revenge.

"Remember this boy..remember me as your first kill. The first blood on your hands..remember why you are a monster." He coughed up blood and slightly gurgled his last few words, making them unintelligible to Naruto as he fell back and hit the ground.

It took Naruto a moment to recover as he looked at the bloody kunai and dropped it, not wanting to soil his hands any further. With his last words, Naruto did not want to look at Mizuki's dead body as he knew it would only haunt him the rest of his days. Instead he grabbed the scroll and prepared to take off with it back to the village, but then that presence in his head spoke again, this time in a condescending tone.

"_**What do you think you are doing boy? Now is our chance! We have the village's most sacred jutsu right there in that scroll and with your sharingan, you can read and memorize it all to be written down later! Its a perfect opportunity.."**_ Kyuubi was ecstatic, it seemed like Konoha had slipped up and they could reap the benefits.

_'But..isn't that wrong? They are sealed up for a reason..to copy them would be wrong to do..'_ Naruto's conscious got the better of him as he argued with Kyuubi who knew exactly how to handle the boy.

"_**Think about it Naruto. What has the village itself ever done for you? They beat you, spit on you, ignored your very existence whenever possible. The only people who care for you are the two in that compound and they are not well liked either. With these jutsu, you can better protect them from evils outside of the village..and within its own walls. Don't you want that, Naruto?"**_ Kyuubi almost felt like cackling as the boy's mental barriers fell.

"I guess you're right..what has this village done for me? I can think of this as a payment for my good deed here." Naruto sat down and began to read the scroll with his sharingan activated, this time no pain came as he kept it on for almost half an hour.

"_**Yes..that's right. Just a payment for what you've done."**_ Kyuubi eyed the scroll as Naruto read through it, a devilish smirk forming on his face.

By the time Iruka arrived to collect Naruto and Mizuki, the boy had everything memorized and ready to go.

000

When Naruto stepped into the hospital room by midnight, Sasuki had long fallen asleep. It was her hope to stay awake long enough to see him OK but with gentle urgings from her mother she relented and let sleep fall upon her. While the ANBU were the first to notice his arrival, Mikoto was the first to react as she charged him and hugged him tight to her breasts.

"Oh Naruto! I'm so glad to see you're alright!" Naruto could barely breathe but bore with it so his kaa-san could be happy.

A few more hugs and kisses later and he was set free, allowing him to be welcomed by the Hokage next. The old man gave him a proud smile as the scroll was handed to him and news of Mizuki's death was told. It was a nasty business, dealing with a traitor to the village. Capture was preferred of course but rarely did they ever allow themselves to be caught. It was even worse someone so young as Naruto was forced to kill, but it might have turned out to be a better experience for him in the long run.

"Thank you for returning this cumbersome troublemaker to me Naruto, I apologize the trouble its given you and Sasuki." Hiruzen honestly admitted, giving a slight bow to the Uchiha.

Naruto just nodded, still in a bit of shock over his first kill and not wanting to revisit the thought. Instead he allowed himself to think of Sasuki and went to her bedside, looking her over to make sure she was alright. All her wounds had been healed and she looked perfect, almost like an angel sleeping like that. Naruto brushed back a bang so he could look at her face as she slept, her snow white skin almost glistened in its untouched purity.

This was how he wanted Sasuki to remain, safe and untouched; as beautiful as the day they met back in the academy.

Mikoto just smiled as she watched from afar, letting things play out as they would. Hiruzen too noticed the affectionate and delicate touch Naruto gave the girl and smiled, it seemed as though their forced relationship turned out for the better after all. Now that Naruto was in a bit better of a mood, the Hokage felt like now was as good as any to let Naruto have his reward.

"Naruto, I would like to speak with you about something very important." The boy turned to see the Hokage with a few scrolls and reluctantly left the sleeping girl's side.

"I'm not sure how much you know about your heritage, as much of it was purposely kept from you. However.." Hiruzen sent a glance to Mikoto before continuing. "..we believe its time you hear a little about a very important person in your life and for you to have some things she left behind for you." Naruto's breathing heightened and he felt very anxious, were they talking about who he thought they were?

"Naruto Uchiha..I would like to tell you a story of a most beautiful and youthful kunoichi. One that most definitely be considered a unique type of shinobi here within Konoha, one that we don't see often. Naruto..I'd like to tell you about Uzumaki Kushina, your mother."

The hospital room went dead silent at that moment, the only sound that could be heard was the tear drops that fell upon the tiled floor and the comforting whispers of a mother to her son.

000

Well, what did you think? I'll be glad once we get through this early arc of the story and into the real meat, AKA the Chunin Exams and onwards. I hope you enjoyed and please leave a review as well as vote in the poll.

Peace.

Review!


	6. Clan Rivalry

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 6

Clan Rivalry

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

Hello everyone, I'm here with your latest installment of _The Blonde Uchiha_. We are now getting to the meat of the story where the two Uchiha meet Kakashi as their teacher and get to know their new team-mate, Shino Aburame. Shino isn't focused on much in the manga and neither is his clan, so I can work with him a bit more than other characters to make him more interesting.

Naruto just found out about his real mom and what's really in his blood, will this upset his relationship with Mikoto and his place in the Uchiha? Could an Uzumaki really fit in with the Uchiha?

Well, I guess we will have to wait and see.

Also, I updated my profile with new links and pictures, especially for Blonde Uchiha. Go check it out and see just how the characters in the story look. I'm constantly putting up new polls too so check my page whenever you get the chance.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hospital_

_Uchiha Suite_

The silence that followed the Hokage's story was deafening. Naruto felt as if a bomb had been dropped and he was in shell shock from the blast, deaf to the world with his thoughts racing. His mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was a ninja of the village and was one of the few remaining survivors of the Uzumaki clan following its destruction. To top it off, it seemed as though his adoptive mother Mikoto knew Kushina personally but she had either been unable or unwilling to alert Naruto of the connection.

Mikoto had done her best to comfort Naruto, but it seemed as if this was something he would have to sort out on his own. As his guardian and hopefully still his 'mother', she hoped that she could still help him through this difficult revelation. Just when he felt he had sunk into the Uchiha family, he had half of his heritage thrown at him; she would hate to ponder what would have happened should he have been told _all_ of his history.

The Hokage just looked at the boy as he stood there, processing the information in no doubt a scrambled, lost manner. Mikoto stood beside him, a comforting hand on his shoulder as she looked down at him in worry. The girl Uchiha still had not woken from her slumber and would most likely be out until morning. The Hokage also knew it was time that he leave, not only because his duty was done there but also because he still had to fill out paperwork on this dreadful situation with Mizuki.

"Well Naruto-kun, that is but a taste of who Uzumaki Kushina truly was. A marvelous kunoichi by all accounts, I'm sure my tale does her little justice. I wish I could stay longer to answer any questions you have, but I think right now you just need some time to think and I must finish the paperwork of this mess and return the Scroll of Seals to its rightful place. If you will excuse me." Hiruzen began to make his way out but stopped before he past Mikoto, turning to speak.

"And Mikoto, again pass my condolences to Sasuki-chan on the unfortunate events that happened this night and a hope for her speedy recovery. Good night." Mikoto nodded and watched as the Hokage, and his escort, left the room and allowed them all peace.

"..." The room was quiet other than Mikoto's attempt to speak only for her to fall short of words, this wasn't something she had time to prepare for.

"I'm going to go home now..Mikoto-san. There are a few things I have to think about, and I should go through these scrolls the Hokage gave me." Naruto shrugged off her hand and walked toward the door, leaving a shocked Mikoto behind.

_'He's never used that name for me..is he angry with me?'_ A sinking feeling in her stomach convinced her it was true as she could have done better with the subject of Naruto's mother.

Honestly, she was still in shock a bit and did not know how to speak to Naruto about the information. She was disappointed now, knowing she should have been more concerned with his feelings than her own. This event would be somewhat beneficial though, not only would he be able to make use of his new found Uzumaki knowledge early to develop his skills, he could also wean himself out of the idea she was his real mother.

Having her as a strong pillar of support was one thing, but Naruto had almost seemed to consider himself Mikoto's blood child. While this was not a bad thing to her, she knew that it would have hurt how he would take learning of his mother later on, possibly even forsaking her completely in favor of Mikoto. It would break her to know she was the cause of her friend Kushina's child not taking on her name, so it was better this way.

Still, it made her feel bad that Naruto was going through such a difficult experience like this but she could do nothing until he himself figured out his feelings on the matter. He could take up his name as an Uzumaki and move out as soon as his age allowed or he could remain an Uchiha and accept the fact he was an Uzumaki too. She had to admit she would rather him stay with her and Sasuki, they had grown so attached it would seem wrong for him to not be with them in the future.

She sighed and took a chair next to Sasuki's bed, deciding it would be better to let Naruto have the compound to himself tonight. There was no doubt he had much to think about and Mikoto would be better of staying with her daughter at this time.

"Sasuki-chan..what will our Naruto do this time?" Mikoto spoke to her daughter as she gently held her hand, preparing to endure the long night.

_'Please don't do anything rash..I want you to stay the same way, Naru-kun.'_

A knock signaled a new arrival and Mikoto immediately thought it odd someone would disturb them.

"Come in." She spoke, careful not to wake her daughter though.

The door quietly squeaked open and then closed, revealing an embarrassed Kakashi with a small bouquet of flowers. Mikoto cocked her head in confusion, wondering what the Jonin was doing there. Its not like they were particularly friends or anything, in fact many of the Uchiha wanted him dead for having the Sharingan. No attempt was ever made as far as she knew, but even she had heard Fugaku speak ill of him on occasion.

To already show concern for his student though made Mikoto at least think well of him.

"Sorry Uchiha-san, but I heard what happened and felt I should come and see how my soon-to-be students were. I passed Naruto, but he didn't seem to notice me. In fact he looked like he was in a daze..." Kakashi looked into space for a moment as he thought about the moment they passed, the boy looked like something terrible had happened.

"Ah yes..well Naruto-kun is just in shock over his first kill I believe. He said he wanted to go home and rest, so I decided to stay here with Sasuki." Kakashi nodded and saw the girl in the bed, sleeping peacefully.

He walked over and handed the flowers to Mikoto who placed them by the girl's bed on her nightstand. They seemed to be a random collection, no doubt what he could gather on a short notice. Still, the thought was what counted as they say.

"Hehe.." He chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head as he saw her eye the flowers. "It was short notice as I'm sure you could tell." Mikoto smiled and pointed at a seat for him to take, an out he graciously made use of.

"No, I'm sure Sasuki-chan will appreciate it." Silence fell on them as they just sat there, thinking of what to say.

Mikoto didn't really have anything to say to Kakashi and hoped he would leave soon. It wasn't that she necessarily disliked him but the fact of the matter was the night was a very long and tiring one for her. There was too much to think about in such a short time and his interruption only served to delay her from sorting out the racing thoughts in her mind.

"Kakashi-san..if there isn't anything else I would appreciate it if you-" He held up a hand that made her quiet down, hoping he got the message.

"I understand a lot has happened tonight Mikoto-san, and I will get out of your way..but there is something else I came here to discuss with you." This made Mikoto realize the visit wasn't so last minute after all, it seemed Kakashi had planned on coming to see them anyway.

"What about?" Kakashi sighed and leaned forward in the chair, clasping his hands together.

"Its about the training I'm going to put your kids through, I'm here to warn you beforehand so you don't hate me if I have to..fail them." Mikoto's eyes widened, _fail_ Naruto and Sasuki?

"What do you mean?" Kakashi just kept that straight face as he looked at her, it only served to test her nerves.

"I'm sure you've looked over my file Mikoto-san, I have failed every group of genin sent my way because they did not accomplish my goal I set for them. With two Uchiha prodigies and a Aburame loner on a team, I fear this group is even worse off than the rest." Mikoto got a hard look in her eye and stood up as Kakashi's eyes followed her.

"May we continue this.._outside?_" He nodded after a moment and followed her out, having expected this response among others.

"Now then..how dare you presume my children are failures before they even begin their training! If you only came here to test my patience, you have done a good job." Mikoto spat in an angry but hushed tone to the man who just took it in stride.

"I appreciate your concern for your children, but if they can't learn what I will try and teach them then I have no choice but to fail them. They won't be ready for the world of ninja if they can't even understand the basics of what it means to be a Konoha shinobi. But like I said, this is only _if_ they fail my test, if they don't, then I will gladly teach them everything I can." Mikoto just glared at Kakashi, he was underestimating her kids' ability from the start, and that was something _no one _did.

"Well, prepare to be surprised Kakashi. My children will pass whatever test you give them and I swear that if they are failed, then _I_ will teach them instead." Kakashi was surprised by the response but said nothing.

"Now please leave, this night has gone on for too long and I have too much to think about." He stayed a moment longer, sighed, and walked past her.

_'I hope her confidence in them is well placed, but from what I hear those two will just make the exercise into a competition. They might never be able to work on a team if all they see in their fellow Konoha shinobi is weakness, something to be pushed around.'_

Mikoto sighed and re-entered her daughter's room, this time for good. What Kakashi said did not shake her confidence in either of them though, she knew that together they could solve any problem. As long as their team-mate could keep up, Team 7 wasn't going anywhere.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

Naruto's arrival home was signaled by a loud scream, all his pent up frustrations were released as he cried and cried. He beat his fists into the floor, banged against the walls, and let his tears guide their way to his room. The stunning revelation that most definitely changed Naruto so much in so little time was too much to bear right after his first kill, he just hadn't had the time process everything.

Now he was letting his frustration and sadness out at once.

He loved his new family, both Mikoto and Sasuki. Being an Uchiha and living with them happily was all he ever wanted to do, so much so he forgot that they weren't his _real _family. Now that he heard the tale of his mother, Naruto was confused on what he should do next. Should he take the Uzumaki name? What should he consider Mikoto, a mother, an aunt, a stranger?

So many questions that only he had the answer to. He dragged himself to his bed and laid out the scrolls in a mess as he just took a few deep breaths. No matter what, he wouldn't let this info of his real mother change what he felt for Sasuki or Mikoto, he wouldn't let it hurt his family. Uzumaki Kushina would be loved and missed as his birth mother, but he could only protect and love Mikoto as his mother now, so he would do so just like he promised.

_'I just need to calm down, I'm not doing anyone any good being an emotional wreck.'_ Naruto calmed himself and then opened the first scroll.

It seemed to have some locking measures he wasn't quite sure he understood. Sensing the boy's confusion, Kyuubi decided to settle in and speak with him again.

"_**Naruto, I suggest you get an empty scroll and write those jutsu you found in it. Otherwise, you will forget them easily and waste this opportunity."**_ Naruto remembered the Scroll of Sealing and knew the Kyuubi was right.

From his nearby desk, Naruto grabbed the necessary tools to begin archiving the jutsu he found. With a brush and ink, he spent the next hour or so copying down all he could remember from the scroll. Kyuubi as well added his insight on the details as well as added a few things he felt the boy should know. Upon completion with his work, Kyuubi advised Naruto to keep the scroll out as they might learn a way to secure it from the Uzumaki scrolls.

_'How do you know we will find something useful in these scrolls Kyuubi? Did you know my mother?' _The beast growled in annoyance and he realized his mother was a touchy subject.

"_**I know enough of her to last a lifetime, and as I said when we first met, it will be discussed at a later date. For now, just accept my age comes with knowledge of many things. One of them, your clan, the Uzumaki. They were known for sealing techniques, something we can apply to lock that scroll would most definitely be in their reach."**_ Naruto wasn't satisfied with Kyuubi's answer but knew he could not argue with him.

_'Fine..but I'm not sure how to go about opening this scroll. It says 'blood' and 'lock' in kanji, but will my blood work?'_ The beast hummed in thought as they deciphered the scroll containing ancient knowledge.

"_**Either its designed to work for a certain group of blood types or certain people. Seeing as how you weren't born yet so they couldn't add your blood to the lock, I figure its probably any Uzumaki blood that will do. Either way, you have a fifty fifty shot of opening it."**_ He didn't like those odds considering the importance of the scroll's knowledge, but it was a gamble he had to take.

"Okay..here goes nothing." Naruto sat on his bed in front of the scroll as he bit his finger and allowed the blood to drip onto the parchment.

Instead of soaking through, it lit up and a chakra spike signaled the lock's release. The ink and blood disappeared to form new writing that spanned the entire length of the scroll. Naruto was overwhelmed by the knowledge and glanced over everything he could; it seemed the first scroll was a basic history of his mother's clan. Where they came from, how they lived, their past battles, greatest triumphs, most bitter defeats, all at his finger tips.

"_**You have all night to read this petty history book boy! Move onto the other two, we must prioritize our time!"**_ So taken up in excitement, Naruto realized that they had a limited time to see everything there.

He quickly opened up the other three and saw they contained even more useful information; one contained info on something similar to an Uzumaki kekkei genkai while the other two contained an entire scroll worth of information on the Uzumaki's unique suiton and fuinjutsu techniques. The bloodline trait incredibly interested Kyuubi but Naruto seemed to wander to all four, not sure which one to focus on first.

_'I can learn how to harness the smallest amount of precipitation into a deadly whirlpool or I can learn how to stop an entire army with just a single seal. If I understand how to use my kekkei genkai on my mother's side, there is no telling what I can accomplish.'_

The tailed beast realized neither could get anything done in this sense, so he decided it was time the boy rested.

"_**Naruto, while I'm sure this is quite overwhelming for you, right now is a time for rest. We can go over this in more detail tomorrow. For now, we can pack it up to review later."**_

The wise advice made him hesitate and realize he truly was tired and considering everything that had happened, it was best he got some rest. The scrolls weren't going anywhere and he would learn nothing while he had a weary mind; it also wouldn't do him any good to see his family in a tired state.

_'You are right Kyuubi, I will put these away for safe keeping.'_ The beast grumbled assent and it too fell into slumber, this time because it wanted to and not because it had no other choice.

He stowed the scrolls underneath his bed, in a small crawlspace he found Itachi must have stored things. So far he had found nothing but it wouldn't surprise him if the elder Uchiha didn't leave a few things behind. With nothing else to do, the blonde got back into bed and fell into an anxious slumber.

000

_Morning_

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

_Front Gate_

"Are you sure you can walk on your own, Sasuki-chan? I can hel-"

"Kaa-san! I can walk by myself..leave me alone already." The two Uchiha women arrived at the gate of their compound after so much fuss getting there from the hospital.

Mikoto was just being a concerned mother, but her daughter would have none of that. Her limp barely showed and it wouldn't last long with the great treatment the doctor's gave her. If only her mother could see that but unfortunately she was too overprotective for her own good. She almost felt like just staying at the hospital to get Mikoto off her back, but she had to come home and see Naruto, to make sure he was okay.

_'Today is the day we meet sensei and our team-mate. This sore feeling had better go away before too long.'_ Sasuki grumbled in her mind as they came into view of Naruto who was waiting for them near their house.

"Hey kaa-san, Suki-chan. Are you two alright?" The two women smiled at his greeting and joined him by the door.

"Naruto!" Sasuki hugged him tight, not wanting to let go.

The blonde was confused at first but then he understood and wrapped his arms around her; Sasuki hadn't seen him after he went after Mizuki. All that time she must have had so many fantasies of what happened and then she fell asleep without knowing the outcome of the battle.

_'She must have been very worried..I guess I can't be too hard on her for making such a cute face.'_

Mikoto just smiled as the two embraced, her children were so cute the way they got along so well. It wouldn't surprise her at the rate they were going before they were kissing in public and doing things a couple would do. Naruto was a bit shy and Sasuki preferred privacy to those types of things but, call it mother's intuition, she sensed the two would make an exception for each other.

"I was so worried, you baka!" She hit his chest, tears soaking his black high collar top. Naruto frowned, he hated to see her so broken up over him.

"I didn't mean to Sasuki..I just couldn't let him get away with what he did to you." Sasuki knew why he did it but it angered her that he went on without her, leaving her behind.

"We do things together from now on..understand?" She looked up at his eyes so innocently that he had no choice but to smile and nod.

"Anything for you, Sasuki." Her playful side won for a moment at how happy she was with his answer; Naruto's happiness was replaced by utter surprise when she kissed him on the lips, a fleeting peck.

"Good boy. Now wait here with kaa-san while I change into my new clothes." Naruto just watched, dumbfounded, as the girl walked to the front door.

Mikoto was wowed as her daughter led Naruto on with a cute turnaround in the door and a wink before disappearing to her room. If nothing else it kept Naruto from saying anything, allowing Mikoto to get her bearings. She didn't want to pry, but she had to know what Naruto's decision was after last night and his time alone.

"Um..Naruto-kun, how did last night go?" The blonde awoke from his daze and turned to face his mother, feeling a bit playful himself with her bashful look.

"What do you mean, Miko-chan?" The use of the nickname gave her hope but she dared not spoil it, wanting to hear it from his mouth.

"Did you come to a decision..after reading about your mother, Kushina?" Mentioning her friend in such a depressing manner made her head fall to the ground in shame.

This was it, surely Naruto no longer wished to stay with them. Being a proud Uzumaki would be his choice, to carry on his mother's legacy and revive the long dead clan. What boy would not dream of such a destiny?

"Why, I'm staying here with my family. What made you think otherwise, kaa-san?" Mikoto looked up in shock to meet his eyes, surprised by his utter pride in the fact.

"B-but..Naruto..your mother Kushina-" Naruto smiled reassuringly, it seemed his mother needed as much persuasion as he did.

"My mother, Uzumaki Kushina, will be dearly missed and I will do everything I can to make her proud of me. What kind of shinobi would I be if I left those who need me the most behind? What kind of son would I be to leave my mother?" Mikoto betrayed herself and brushed a tear away, it seemed Naruto saw through them better than others could; he knew just how to answer her worst fears with reassurance.

"Thank you Naruto..I know it may be selfish but.." Mikoto smiled with teary eyes at her son, her true son. "I want you to stay with Sasuki and me. Kushina was a great friend of mine and I hope she will understand these feelings." Naruto joined his mother in an embrace, bringing her as close as he could.

The action surprised her but she quickly returned the hug and listened as he spoke.

"Kaa-san will understand..the Uzumaki will be reborn again with the Uchiha, just as the Uchiha were reborn six years ago. This time, we are one family now." Mikoto just smiled and hugged him tight, glad that he was willing to stay.

_'Oh Naruto, you know just what to say to make kaa-san happy.'_

"Ahem." They quickly separated to find Sasuki standing in the doorway again, this time with her hands on her hips and an accusing glare sent at the two.

While Mikoto was a bit embarrassed of the situation they were caught in, Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of the girl's new clothes. She now joined him in wearing an Uchiha black high collar shirt, but hers was cut at the midriff to show her perfect stomach. Going lower, she wore a small skirt that adorned the Uchiha symbol along its sides and covered only about to her thighs and going even farther revealed long black leather boot sandals that clung tightly to her legs. The last obvious change was her headband that instead of being tied to her forehead, was worn around the neck.

"Did I catch you two at a bad time?" She asked sarcastically, eliciting an awkward laugh from her mother and practically a nosebleed from Naruto as he checked out her new outfit; a smirk formed in her mind as she watched him.

_'It seems my new taste in clothing is also liked by Naruto. I suppose that makes up for the fact that kaa-san almost went too far with my Naru-kun..even with my skill, I can't compete with her yet.'_

"N-no of course not Sasuki-chan, Naru-kun and I were just-"

"Suki-chan, kaa-san was hugging me because she was still worried about me after yesterday. You know how clingy she is." Naruto saved his mother the trouble of explaining when it was his fault anyway.

Satisfied with the answer, Sasuki let it drop and began to walk out the front gate toward the village. Naruto looked at Mikoto and, when she gave an approving nod and smile, ran off after her to go see their new sensei. A sudden sinking feeling in her gut came about when she thought of the Jonin Kakashi and what he said. That was when she saw what made her almost jealous of her young daughter.

The two entwined their hands as they left the safety of the compound to the exposure of the outside world; Mikoto smiled. Everyone would look at them now, and they all would know where the true strength of the reborn Uchiha came from.

_'Their love for one another will beat any obstacle..just as my love will protect them for as long as I live.'_

Speaking of that, Mikoto had important business to attend to with the Hokage. It was time she made a more..notable inquiry on a specific pair of eyes she wanted for a long time.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Ninja Academy_

The entire class went quiet as the two Uchiha arrived, rumors had already spread throughout the school about their escapades last night. When everyone saw their hands together, it seemed the class would be in an uproar in jealousy. Naruto and Sasuki ignored them and took their spots in the corner of the classroom away from the idiots and drama queens.

That was something Naruto had to appreciate in Sasuki, even though she was popular she didn't bother to pursue it. He liked staying out of the spotlight and was glad his sister agreed to the idea.

Sakura and Ino just looked at the two and sighed in envy, what they wouldn't give to have a chance to hang out with either of them. They were leeches that thrived on popularity but they were starved dry by the Uchiha who let no one near them.

Kiba growled, he promised one of these days he would teach Naruto a lesson and get Sasuki for himself; an alpha male claiming his mate from a pitiful mut.

_'He's just posing as an Uchiha, he's not worth mating with her. I'll show her after I kick his ass..'_ For now though, Kiba was at least smart enough to know not to take on Naruto with her around; she was liable to jump in.

Shino and Shikamaru had watched the two come in with a neutral or lazy attitude to it all. Shino looked at the Uchiha prodigies as worthy Konoha ninja as well as a good challenge; Shikamaru just saw them as the cause of his headache every morning.

_'If I have to hear about those two one more time..I might just ask my dad to teach me more Nara kage techniques.'_

Luckily he was saved from too much of an uproar when the homeroom teacher came in. Many of the students were silently questioning where Mizuki was, as he usually came in along with Iruka. Their parents most likely did not tell them anything specific, especially as it was only Jonin that were debriefed on the situation.

Iruka watched as their eyes darted around the classroom and their minds wandered, it looked like he would have to make a class announcement.

"Mizuki will not be joining us any longer in the classroom as he was..found to be a traitor to the Hidden Leaf. Last night he was killed before he could leave the village with important documents." They gasped, who would have thought he was a traitor all this time? Even more interesting, who was the one that killed him?

Naruto's hand scrunched into a fist and his face scrunched up, remembering last night. Sasuki immediately noticed and put her hand over his, giving him an understanding smile.

Iruka noticed the two Uchiha in the comforting gesture as his eyes wandered to check on them; they had been key figures on that night. He smiled as it looked like they would pull through just fine.

"Alright quiet down! Let this be a lesson to always be vigilant, even someone you know and trust can change..sometimes for the worse." They quieted down and took in his lesson as the grave example was enough for most to understand.

"Well, enough of this talk. Today should be an exciting day since I have the list of genin teams right here!" Iruka smiled and held up the clipboard eliciting a cheer from the students.

Naruto and Sasuki stayed quiet, patiently waiting for their names to be called as the teams were listed off by Iruka. Sakura Haruno was on a team with Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba with their team captain acting as Jonin Kurenai Yuuhi. Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji were on team under Asuma Sarutobi.

"Team 7; Uchiha Sasuki, Uchiha Naruto, and Aburame Shino under Jonin Kakashi Hatake." Iruka looked up from his list as he read off the last team to see the reactions; eyes were darting between the three called as they looked nonchalant.

_'An Aburame eh? Hmph. He better not get in our way.'_

_'I never really got to understand Shino, looks like this will be a good chance to.'_

_'Two Uchiha? Quite an interesting team indeed, you were right father.'_

"Well, that does it for the team list. Now I think its time you meet your teachers.." Iruka motioned toward the door and shouted. "Come on in!" The door slid open and in came a half a dozen Jonin to pick up their students.

Naruto eyed the one teacher, Yuuhi Kurenai, and expertly hid a blush with his folded hands. The woman was beautiful with her piercing red eyes and charcoal black hair. He was thankful Sasuki couldn't see as she was too preoccupied trying to find their teacher but did not see him.

_'Dammit, where is this guy?'_

It wasn't long before everyone but Team 7 and Iruka were left, and he soon left too.

"Hehe..I hear Kakashi-san is known for being a bit tardy. I will be in the teacher's lounge if you need me, otherwise please be patient." And with that, the three silent ninja were alone with each other.

Shino cut a sideways glance at them as they did the same, staring at one another before simultaneously standing up and coming to stand next to each other at the front of the room.

"Shino."

"Naruto."

"Aburame."

"Uchiha."

Their quick greetings showed how little they knew of one another, partly because neither side was exactly social with the other. Still, Naruto wished Sasuki would get along a little better with their new team-mate instead of seeing him in some clan rivalry. At the very least they could boast they have the same cool attitude, other than Sasuki's hot temper at times.

"Looks like we get the lazy teacher..geez." Naruto leaned against the front desk as the other two just stared each other down.

Naruto shook his head and sighed, this was gonna be a long day.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage Mansion_

"How can you tell me you don't know? I addressed this problem years ago and have given ample space for your investigation and you can't find a pair of eyes? Two dangerous eyes in the wrong hands?" Mikoto yelled at the two advisers as the Hokage sat in his desk and they stood at his sides.

The Uchiha matriarch continued to push for a further investigation on the disappearance of Uchiha Shisui's eyes upon their initial findings of..nothing. It seemed as if any records of his body being recovered from the river were non-existent.

"I'm sorry Mikoto-san, but our current investigation has still turned up nothing. We had Shisui Uchiha's body moved directly to the morgue after its recovery, I even remember giving the order..but we cannot find documentation. We have no leads either as no spy activity has been detected nor were any unauthorized personnel allowed anywhere near the body." Mikoto couldn't believe their incompetence but knew that yelling would do nothing.

"I will remember this injustice Hokage..and you as well councilors." They received her words and glare in stride but the impact was still noticable.

"Uchiha-dono, we are doing all we can. Please bare with us as you know we did not want this outcome either." Homura ground out in comparison to his previous conversations with the Uchiha which were in a more pleasant tone.

"Yes, all you must worry about now is fulfilling the CRA agreement as we approach the deadline for Sasuki-chan. Are you sure that they will be willing to pro-create?" Mikoto almost growled, gripping the chair she stood behind tightly.

"It is not my place to force them to do anything they are not ready to do, all I can say is that they are now in a relationship other than brother and sister. However fast they progress through this is not my business to say." The elders weren't satisfied but said nothing in return and the Hokage just nodded.

"Enough of this tense conversation, I don't believe Mikoto's presence here warrants an argument every meeting. Now, let's go over Kakashi's plan for your children Mikoto-san, I'm sure you will be interested." She felt a chill at the sound of his name but ignored it, instead feigning interest.

"Yes." She said with a fake smile. "I would love to hear what Jonin Hatake's plan is for them."

000

So glad I got this done. Feels like it took forever and I'm not sure if I should have ended it here or not but I really wanted to get this out before I go to bed. Now I can get back to my Assassin story which I'm really excited about and I hope that more of you will get into and enjoy, especially if you love Assassin's creed or red head romance!

But you came here for Blonde Uchiha and I hoped you enjoyed.

Review!

Peace.


	7. Our Little Secret

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 7

Our Little Secret

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

Hey guys, time for another chapter of Blonde Uchiha. I'm sure you all have been excited for the next release in what is one of the more unique stories here on fan fiction. Yes, there are many stories where he is taken in by the Uchiha, given a sharingan, or in some way is related to Sasuke. In this story though, you get all that PLUS he gets to have the last two Uchiha women as his own, not bad right?

Moving past my bragging, this chapter will detail, the start of the survival test issued by Kakashi. So far it seems the Uchiha are set to fail at teamwork with their conflict against the Aburame team member. Will they somehow sort out their differences to beat their sensei, or will the two Uchiha just have to take him down without Shino?

And what about Mikoto, how will she get back at the council for their incompetence?

Well, I guess you will have to read on and see. And just to let everyone know, in this story:

Team 7 will go to Wave for their first mission which will probably be after this chapter. Following Wave, there will be an event that happens that I made up myself that will bring the Uchiha closer together, however, as I said before romance between Naruto and Mikoto won't get physical until Part II. Sasuki will not have sex with Naruto until Part II either, but they will most definitely tease one another as the series progresses.

Following that event, we will head right into the Chunin Exam arc, Search for Tsunade, then onto Sasuki Retrieval. It may feel like this is going to go by quick but I don't think it will, I'm mainly doing this because part II is always more interesting to me than Part I. If you have any other event you want me to particularly touch on, leave it in a review and I will see if I can fit into the story.

Alright, lets get on to the chapter.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Ninja Academy_

It felt as if they had been waiting hours when finally their teacher entered the classroom. Naruto's team-mates broke their never ending stare contest to watch as the silver-haired Jounin entered the room with an apologetic smile.

"Hehe..sorry about being so late. I guess I just got lost on the road of life, you know how it is." Naruto gave him an odd look, this guy definitely wasn't like the rest of the teachers they saw.

_'He seems pretty lazy..but there is something about him that just radiates strength. Odd.'_

Sasuki and Shino were a bit annoyed at his laid back behavior since he made them wait for so long. Shino didn't mind too much, its just that he would have preferred to not get into a conflict with his team-mate before their teaching even began. The Uchiha of course was annoyed because of sheer impatience, who was this man to make them wait for this long? Did he not get the memo of when to meet teams?

"What took you so long?" Sasuki asked with her arms crossed, annoyed.

Kakashi looked at her for a second before crossing his arms too.

"Well sorry Uchiha-hime, but maybe I had other things I to do? That said, now that I'm here we should probably get down to business." Sasuki was getting more and more annoyed but Naruto just moved to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, that sounds like a plan." Kakashi looked at Naruto and saw that the jinchuuriki had taken a stunning turn since being adopted by the Uchiha.

He was calm now and it seemed as though he had gotten better at his studies. Apparently Naruto was number two in the academy, trailing Sasuki only by a small margin. He had also gained popularity since being adopted, Kakashi figured it came with the name but now he wondered if it was the change in performance that led people to respect him.

Perhaps he had potential after all and he had to appreciate the kid's ability at keeping his sister on a leash.

"Alright then, let's head to the roof. The first part of our team building exercise will be to get to know one another." Kakashi waved and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the three to make their way to the roof on their own.

"Guh! The nerve of that guy.." Sasuki muttered but eased up with Naruto's presence close by as they walked; Shino lagged behind them a bit.

"Come on, he was just trying to get a rise out of you." Naruto tried to make her ease up but recoiled when she sent him a glare. "Ok ok..calm down. But still, this guy is odd. There is something about him that makes me feel cautious around him." Sasuki hadn't noticed the feeling but nodded all the same in agreement.

"I feel as if we should stay united if we wish to beat his mind games." Naruto looked to his right and saw Shino walking with him now, it sent a shiver down his spine at how mysterious the guy was.

"Y-yeah..you're right Shino. We are team-mates, we have to work together if we want to stand against Kakashi-sensei's tricks." Shino nodded in agreement but Naruto saw that Sasuki was still glaring at him.

"That doesn't mean I'll let you show me up, bug boy."

"I wouldn't count on it, Uchiha."

Naruto sighed, well at least it was a start. It wasn't long before they got up the stairs and reached the roof where Kakashi was waiting for them, leaning against the academy's railing. He was reading some orange book while he waited, but when he saw them he quickly put it away in his bag.

He indicated they sit on the steps in front of him and they did so, Naruto in the middle to keep the two from tearing into one another.

"Alright, now how about you all introduce yourselves. Tell us a little about you so we can get to know you..likes, dislikes, that kind of stuff." Kakashi said lazily and they figured he really wasn't enthused to be their teacher.

"Well that's not much to go on, how about you go first so we don't make fools of ourselves." Sasuki said with a haughty tone and a smirk.

"Well fine, if that's what you want." Kakashi shrugged and looked into the sky for a moment to think.

"Well..my name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm not going to tell you my likes or dislikes and I don't really have any dreams. As far as hobbies..well I guess I have a few of those." He scratched his head and chuckled only for Naruto and Sasuki to collectively sigh at his pathetic introduction.

"The only thing I got out of that was your name." Naruto complained and Sasuki nodded.

"Pretty bad example for a Jounin." Kakashi sweat dropped and felt as if he was comedian in front of a tough crowd.

Shino had nothing to say although he too was annoyed by their sensei's laid back attitude towards the situation. At the very least he could take the teaching part seriously even if he did not like the students.

"Alright alright, now its your turn. If my performance wasn't enough, why don't you try and outdo me then." Sasuki and Naruto looked at one another and then back at their teacher.

"Why should we bother if you aren't going to take this seriously?" Kakashi thought about it for a moment before giving them a straight answer.

"Because if you don't tell me your names, I'll just make some up for you." The two sweat dropped and Sasuki decided she would go first.

"Fine then..my name is Sasuki Uchiha. My likes..well there is really only one thing I care about, and that's my family. I hate a lot of things, to list them all would take too long. My dream..my goal.." Naruto looked at Sasuki as she paused, it looked as if she was having difficulty choosing what to say.

Kakashi kept up his lazy routine but was a bit interested in what she would have to say, considering the things that happened to her family.

"My dream is to have a large family with someone I love." Sasuki blushed and looked at Naruto who did the same thing and smiled at her.

_'Guess I was worrying for nothing..' _He thought as he looked into her eyes and could see nothing but happiness.

"_**Maybe..or maybe she is just a good liar."**_ Kyuubi whispered to himself, not allowing the boy to hear what he said.

Kakashi didn't change outwardly, still just having the same lazy look as he looked at the team. Inside though, he could see how she flinched at the point when she had to talk about her goals in the future. It seemed there was something she wanted to hide, a dream that she did not want even her beloved brother to know about. Kakashi had a guess but there was no way to be sure.

"Any hobbies of yours?" He asked her to which she turned to look at him.

"Training and being with my family." The Jounin nodded, a satisfactory way to end.

"Alright, you're next." Naruto saw him pointing at him and knew it was his turn; he felt not only his teacher's eyes on him but his team-mates as well.

"My name is Naruto Uchiha." Kakashi's eyes widened for a moment before going back to normal, it seemed like the kid acclimated well to being adopted into the family; he sounded very comfortable when he said it.

"My likes are being with my family, eating kaa-san's food, and being with Sasuki." The two shared a glance before he continued, scrunching up his face in displeasure on his dislikes.

"I dislike it when someone tries to hurt my family and I dislike it when someone picks on those who are weaker than them. As for my dreams..well they are more like goals but.." Naruto looked at Sasuki and held her hand in a reassuring fashion, she smiled in response.

"I want to have a large family and I _will_ protect them, even if it costs me my life." Sasuki was surprised by his declaration, she had no idea Naruto felt so strongly about it.

For some reason it made her feel warm inside to know he cared about them that much.

"My hobbies are the same as Sasuki's." Kakashi shrugged and just watched as the brother sister love combo stared at each other before pointing to Shino.

With it now his turn, Shino waited a moment before speaking in his usual monotone voice.

"My name is Shino Aburame. My likes are observing insects and categorizing new species. My dislikes are people who rush into things without thinking and those who do not appreciate insects." The three other group members sweat dropped, in retrospect they shouldn't have been surprised by his answers.

_'Geez, I wonder what the rest of his family is like. Probably a bunch of weirdos.'_ Sasuki shuddered at the thought of insects, she hated them.

"My goal is to rise to Aburame clan head and increase our influence in Konoha. My hobbies are, as you may have guessed, entomology and anything to pertaining to insect study." Shino made no outward reaction to show he was done so Kakashi just guessed that the long pause meant it was over.

"Well alright then, it seems we have quite a unique team here." The four looked amongst one another subtely, that much was an understatement.

"Tomorrow, we will have our first mission together." Sasuki got a bit excited at the sound of a mission.

"What kind of mission?" She asked.

"A survival exercise." Kakashi said, which made Sasuki have a disappointed look on her face while Naruto was confused.

"Survival training? Didn't we already do that in the academy?" He asked and Sasuki angrily nodded.

"Yeah, why are you making us do the same thing when you know we already passed it?" Kakashi sighed, she was going to be a tough one to work with.

"This is not like your ordinary academy training." This just made them even more confused.

"Then what makes it so special?" Naruto asked and Kakashi began to chuckle.

Sasuki was just about to yell at him but was calmed down by Naruto who just shook his head, meaning it wasn't worth it. Shino had stayed silent for the majority of the meeting but was finally getting impatient with their teacher.

"This doesn't seem like a laughing matter sensei." Kakashi looked at the Aburame and his laugh died out, the straight face the kid gave him made him lose his sense of humor.

"Well, its just I'm trying to imagine your faces when I tell you this next part. You see..only nine of the graduates of the academy will become genin, the rest will be sent back." This surprised the three a bit as they flinched at the new information.

"So that means.." Sasuki muttered, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Yes, 66% of your graduating class will be sent back and this test is designed to see if you have what it takes to stay." Kakashi watched them all soak this in but it did not have the desired intimidating effect he wanted.

"So..when do we start this test?" Naruto asked with a smirk, his confidence radiated off to Sasuki and Shino.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go."

"My insects are chattering with excitement.."

"Well, I suppose we will have to see how well you do tomorrow at the training grounds. Bring your ninja gear at meet at 5 o'clock in the morning." Kakashi got off the railing and made to leave only to stop as if he just remembered something.

"Oh yeah, and don't eat any breakfast. You'll just puke it up anyway..later." Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the three genin hopefuls to gather themselves and go home.

"Looks like the entire point of this was to try and intimidate us." Naruto said as they all got up from the steps and stood in a circle together.

"Yeah, but I don't think it worked since we saw through what he was trying to do." Sasuki said and Shino and Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow, we will have to work together to win. If we all stick together, we can beat Kakashi-sensei and stay as genin." Naruto said, hoping the two would agree.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Just try to keep up Shino." Sasuki smirked at the Aburame who just looked at her through the dark glasses.

"I was just about to say the same thing, Sasuki. I'll be the trump card of the operation though, just watch." With that, Shino began to walk off and the two Uchiha quickly followed eager to get home.

000

Kakashi watched from a nearby rooftop as they left, a smile came to his face.

_'Not bad squad 7..'_

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

The two Uchiha made it back home in one piece, content with the way the meeting ended. Naruto knew that to have any chance of beating Kakashi, they would have to work together. He pondered for a moment if that was why the test was set up, to test and see if the genin would set aside their differences and work together but ignored it as they entered home.

"Kaa-san! We're home!" Naruto announced as he and Sasuki took of their sandals and made their way inside.

Mikoto opened up the sliding door from the kitchen and smiled at them. She had gotten home from her meeting over an hour ago and had just recently started making lunch for them. Their team meeting took longer than she was expecting but apparently Kakashi was often tardy to such things and she was not surprised.

"Ah, welcome back you two. I hope everything went well with Hatake-san?" Mikoto decided it would be best if she stayed neutral with Kakashi, at least with her children in case they took a liking to him.

"He's a lazy Jounin who doesn't know how to tell time." Sasuki complained, crossing her arms in annoyance; Mikoto giggled and was secretly pleased her daughter didn't take a liking to him.

"Yeah, there's something about him though. I think if we earn his trust he might really be able to teach us something." Naruto's answer surprised the two women as they did not expect him to like the man.

"Yeah, teach us how to be late maybe." Sasuki countered and Naruto just shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure after your training exercise with him you will find out what kind of person he is." Mikoto tried to ease her daughter's annoyance.

"Wait Kaa-san, how did you know we have a training exercise with him?" Mikoto brought a hand to her mouth after realizing what she said.

"Ah, the Hokage told me that it was something Kakashi did with all his genin squads.." Naruto seemed to accept this answer and Sasuki was too focused on something else to mind.

_'Wew. That was close..it wouldn't do if I told them he failed all his other squads.'_

"I've been making lunch..it should be ready soon. Then we can talk about a few things.." Naruto nodded as Mikoto went back into the kitchen to continue working while he and Sasuki remained in the hall.

"I'm going to go out back and train Naruto, would you like to join me?" Sasuki asked, she figured they would need to be ready for tomorrow so warming up now wouldn't hurt.

"I'm sorry Sasuki, but I still haven't gotten through those scrolls the Hokage gave me. There might be something in there we can use to win tomorrow so I think its best if I go upstairs and read. Maybe later I can come out.." Sasuki smiled and kissed him on the cheek, waving goodbye as she walked past to go outside.

"See you later then, Naru-kun." Naruto blushed at the nickname and walked the opposite way, toward the stairs to take him to his room.

_'Geez..she teases me too much. I'm glad that when we are alone though, she can be so sweet.'_ With her standoffish attitude to everyone else, it made him feel a little special that she treated him nicely.

As he climbed the stairs, Kyuubi began to stir in anticipation. It was time to accelerate the boy's training so that he could accurately represent Kyuubi as a human container, however much the beast detested that word. It meant he was caged, imprisoned; not exactly something that fit well for something of his stature.

_**'My human avatar..I like that a bit better.'**_

Naruto entered Itachi's room, now his own. The scrolls lay undisturbed where he left them, right on his desk across the room from his bed and window. He grabbed the one that had peaked his interest the most and the one he felt would be best to start off with; the Uzumaki bloodline. Apparently his mother's family had some sort of ability that other shinobi didn't, just like the Uchiha's sharingan.

"_**I am very interested in this..even though I observed it in action I never really knew what it was from a human's perspective."** _Kyuubi's thoughts rang in Naruto's mind as he unfurled the scroll and began to read through.

_..The Uzumaki are blessed with a multitude of our bloodline, nicknamed the 'Tailed Beast Curse'._ _While the namesake makes it out to sound like a terrible affliction, any Uzumaki can argue that without or bloodline we would surely be in a more disadvantageous spot. The main overview of the bloodline is not a single ability like that of the sharingan but instead an overall stronger body more suited to a shinobi._

_With expanded chakra coils at birth, upon full maturity, an adult Uzumaki can be expected to wield twice that of an experienced Kage. We have been fabled as the shinobi who are tailed beasts without tails for our amazing stamina and endurance which allows us to fight for days without resting. This high level of natural fitness also leads us to have long lives and commonly an Uzumaki can be expected to live over 100 years and still be a capable shinobi!_

_Apart from the abilities we gain from our blood, there are many specific jutsu that are capable of being used by only an Uzumaki. For example, due to the complexity and drain on the body, much of our fuinjutsu archives can only be used by Uzumaki Seal Masters. That also goes for our most common nature affinity, water. All Hiden jutsu cataloged by Uzumaki use an exorbitant amount of chakra, but for a more devastating effect. _

_It is also to our benefit that all Uzumaki imbued with water nature are quite naturally talented with it, many being able to create cascades of water from just the vapor within air which only few others can do! _

_The Uzumaki bloodline is not something that is trained, but that is utilized by the body automatically. This benefits the clan that we do not have to spend time training young ones on how to use it, instead they learn to use it through everyday training and activity._

_'So this is why I'm almost never tired? Because of my bloodline..and whenever we did jutsu training back when we were young and everybody got tired after a few tries, I could keep going? This is pretty amazing..'_ Kyuubi huffed in assent, and this was just his mother's side.

"_**Yes, I agree. Don't forget about me either, my chakra invigorates your body as well and can be used for jutsu if you ever run low on regular chakra..be careful though, my chakra is more volatile than a human's. With my chakra interacting with your coils slowly overtime, its made your chakra a bit more..potent. I have yet to see what this could mean though.."**_ Naruto took Kyuubi's words into consideration and came to a very obvious realization, he wasn't an ordinary ninja nor would he be as he grew.

_'This is going to set me apart from others..is that a good thing or a bad thing?'_ Kyuubi laughed at the boy's indecisiveness, as power meant everything to him.

"_**This is great kit! Any who stand in our way won't stand a chance, people will cower in fear of us when we step onto a battlefield. And..it means you will be that much more capable of protecting your family."**_ That made the blonde smile, just as Kyuubi knew it would.

_**'As long as he is doing it for his family, he's fine with it.'**_

_'Kaa-san, Suki-chan..I will protect you with this.'_

Naruto put the scroll back on the desk and began to reach for another before Kyuubi interrupted him again.

"_**Naruto, in your current state you won't be much of a challenge for this Kakashi. I suggest you open up that scroll you wrote down the forbidden jutsu in, there might be something in it that we can use!"**_ Naruto looked at the scroll and picked it up.

_'You seem like you already know what I'm supposed to find..'_

"_**Just call it a hunch, now read."**_

Naruto grumbled in agreement before beginning to look through the jutsu that had been listed in the Scroll of Sealing. All jutsu within were considered forbidden to use as they were too dangerous to the user or too threatening for the balance of nature. He saw mention of many Edo, Jikukan, and even some fuinjutsu that could have been written in by the Uzumaki but then he came to one in particular that made the Kyuubi excitedly growl.

"_**That's it! Shadow Clone Jutsu..something your mother made use of often along with many other Uzumaki."**_ Naruto's interest was piqued after that and he read on to find out what was so special about the jutsu.

_'So I can make clones of myself..but the clones are real?'_ Naruto remembered the academy E-rank bunshin jutsu, but they were only images and could not interact with the world around it.

"_**Ah so much more than that boy! Anything the clone knows, you know! Use it to have multiples of you train one jutsu to learn it quicker. Apart from that, they are excellent combat tools as they too can use chakra."**_ It was then he realized just how useful the jutsu could be and wondered why other people didn't use it.

_'So Kyuubi, this jutsu seems pretty amazing. Why is it that only Uzumaki ever used it?'_ The beast huffed in annoyance, the kid was smart but he didn't apply it.

"_**Of course others have tried it, but they could never use it like the Uzumaki. It literally forces a person to replicate their chakra system, of course to a bare minimum of chakra, but still the entire chakra system to create the clone. Its very draining and can kill a person from only making a few clones..Uzumaki on the other hand have such high reserves they could make dozens and even hundreds and only break a sweat!"**_

_'Wow..Sounds like a good idea to learn. When do you think I should start?'_

"_**Right now dammit!"**_

"NARUTO! LUNCH IS READY!" They sweat dropped as he put the scroll away for later use and went downstairs to join his family for lunch.

"_**Damn vixens..getting in my damn way."**_ Naruto ignored him in favor of his stomach, which was growling in anticipation for his mother's food.

He quickly jolted downstairs and ran into the family room to see Sasuki and Mikoto already sitting down, waiting for him. They shared a smile before eating their meal of rice and fish. It remained quiet at the table until they finished eating, it was then that Mikoto decided it would be good to speak with them about the CRA. Its not that she wanted to rush them into fulfilling it, but the more knowledge they had about it the more they could get used to it.

She decided it would be best to leave the part about her and Naruto out of the conversation. It was a subject she didn't even know how to feel about, let alone discuss.

"Naruto, Sasuki..there is something we should speak about." The two had been talking to one another before they heard their mother's serious voice and knew it was best to listen.

"What is it kaa-san?" Sasuki asked curiously.

"Remember when I spoke to you when you were younger, about how you two would be married?" The two looked at each other and blushed, they nodded.

"Well, I wanted to tell you more about the reason why you are getting married. You see, because the Uchiha have lost so many members, the village wants our numbers to be replenished. So, because you are a female of the Uchiha clan you must get married to have children to spread the sharingan." Sasuki wanted to have a large family and she wanted to be with Naruto, so it didn't change her feelings on the subject much.

For Naruto, he was just surprised for the reason behind the whole thing of being married. It didn't seem very appealing that the village was forcing them to have children for them, even though they were theirs to raise. Something about it didn't sit right with him, but since it was a while off he just was glad he could be with Sasuki and grabbed her hand.

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him right as Mikoto continued to speak.

"And your first child must be delivered by the time you are sixteen." Just as they were about to kiss, their eyes shot open and they backed up in a mad blush.

"WHAT?" They shouted and Mikoto sweat dropped; she brought her hands up and tried to allay their concerns.

"Now now, its still a ways off. I thought it would be best you keep it in mind though..because its important we follow the rules the council have set." Mikoto looked off in space for a second before adding with a glare. "For now at least."

"B-but that's crazy! We should be able to..I mean its our relationship, how can they-" Naruto was cut short by Mikoto's words that were like a knife right through his heart.

"Because if you don't, the CRA will force Sasuki to have sex with someone else. You don't want that, do you Naruto?" Naruto couldn't believe it, they would actually do something like that just for the sharingan?

"I would never-"

"You wouldn't have a choice Suki-chan, they could force us if they have to." The girl didn't seem to back down and Mikoto was secretly glad her daughter wasn't too happy about that; it meant her feelings were genuine.

Naruto wasn't going to let that happen to Sasuki, even if it meant they would have to..have sex. The word seemed forbidden, taboo on his tongue. Something that was reserved for adults, not something a kid should have to worry about.

"But Kaa-san..what about you?" Naruto's question was what she was hoping to avoid and she attempted to bypass the question with reassurance.

"Don't worry Naru-kun, kaa-san has a plan to keep me from having to do anything I don't want to." The vague answer was enough for Naruto, he didn't want to see his mother forced into something like that.

_'I'm just sorry I'm using you Naru-kun, but I wonder if you would mind or not? No..that's not the right way for a mother to think, I'm just doing this until I can find someone suitable.'_

"If you say so, this is still bull. I can't believe the village is doing this..I can't believe the Hokage is doing this!" Sasuki was practically fuming.

"They are just trying to make sure the village stays strong Sasuki, Konoha needs the sharingan. Because we are all ninja, there is a chance one of us may die and then they might lose our kekkei genkai forever. That is why they are making you do such things at a young age." Mikoto tried to explain to her daughter but she was still angry.

"Kaa-san..seeing as how we are getting some things out in the open. There is something I want to show you and Sasuki that I..well you'll have to see." Mikoto and Sasuki shared a curious glance before getting up and following Naruto to his room.

"_**What are you doing kit? Don't tell me you are going to show them the scroll? That is supposed to be my..our power!"**_ Naruto gritted his teeth at Kyuubi's anger.

_'If we all know the jutsu here, we will all be more powerful. They are my family Kyuubi, I won't keep this from them.'_ Kyuubi just growled and retreated deeper into his cage.

_**'The boy's heart needs to get colder..greed would be his best friend.'**_

"Its over here.." Naruto led them to his desk and grabbed a specific scroll and began to unfurl it.

Mikoto figured it was something he found out about his mother or clan and wanted to show them while Sasuki thought it would be something more useful like a jutsu. As soon as he unfurled the scroll and let it loose, their eyes widened at the dozens of kinjutsu written down with all details. Mikoto wobbled a bit before she knelt down and began to look through the scroll with wide eyes, her hands shook.

Sasuki just looked at the first few and realized she was getting excited, sending Naruto a smile.

"This is awesome Naruto! Where did you find all these jutsu? I can't wait to learn them.." Naruto chuckled and scratched his head in embarrassment like he didn't do anything special.

"Well you see..when I beat Mizuki the Scroll of Seals was there and..I kind of opened it and read it. These are jutsu I remembered and wrote down." Mikoto couldn't believe it, Naruto would do something like that?

_'This is bad..if the Hokage ever found out, we would get in a lot of trouble. Its practically treason.'_

"Naruto..do you know how much trouble you could get into for doing this?" Naruto and Sasuki froze when they heard their mother's trembling voice rise in anger, she sounded genuinely scared.

"I-I'm sorry Kaa-san, it seemed like a good idea at the time." Mikoto looked over the scroll again and tried to calm herself down.

_'Now that I think about it..this could work to our advantage. The council took Shisui's eyes, so now we take their jutsu. I'll think of it as an advanced payment.'_

"I can turn it into the Hokage or burn it kaa-san, if you want.." Naruto said quietly, not wanting to make his mother angry.

"_**NO! Are you stupid or something? I told you not to show them and what do you do? Dammit kit, you are an idiot!"**_

_'I didn't think it would work out like this..I won't go against what Miko-chan wants though. I don't want to get her in trouble.'_

"_**DAMN YOU-"**_ Naruto zoned out Kyuubi's voice and proceeded to wrap up the scroll when Mikoto responded with something that surprised him.

"Naruto, let me see the scroll." Naruto gulped and handed Mikoto the scroll who took it and then proceeded to bonk him on the head with it.

"Baka! Next time tell me when you do something so dangerous ok?" Naruto scratched his head and nodded; Sasuki saw the mischievous glint in her mother's eye and smiled, she was going to let them use it.

"So Kaa-san, that means we are keeping it right?" Mikoto looked at her daughter, paused, and then nodded in agreement but before her daughter could snatch it held it high in the air.

"But you only may learn the jutsu one at time and with _my_ permission, understand?" They both nodded and Mikoto gave it back to Naruto who just kept looking at her to make sure she meant it.

"Kaa-san, I was going to start learning one of the jutsu. Apparently its suited perfect for me as an Uzumaki.." Mikoto watched as he opened the scroll and pointed toward the one he wanted to learn, Kage Bunshin.

"I've heard of that jutsu and I saw Kushina-chan use it often. I'm sure it will be a great asset to you Naru-kun, so go ahead and start training as soon as you can. Just be careful, it is a kinjutsu after all." Naruto smiled wide and nodded, not noticing Sasuki's pout.

"So what about me?" Mikoto smiled and pointed a finger at her own chest.

"I'll teach you a jutsu Sasuki, because I know you still only know the fireball jutsu. Its time we stepped up to another Katon jutsu, Katon: Hōsenka." Sasuki seemed to accept this, although the choice between a rare kinjutsu and some katon jutsu wasn't exactly very fair.

"Come on Sasuki, time to spend some time with your mother. We will see you for dinner Naruto-kun." The two left him to his own devices, allowing him to begin training himself in how to utilize his bloodline.

_'I will master my bloodline, or else I won't be able to protect Sasuki and Mikoto!'_

000

_Unknown_

"_Almost that time for them to send their report. Dammit I'm always impatient when it comes to this crap.."_

"_Yes sir, but we will just have to rely on our shinobi's ability. You handpicked them after all."_

"_Still though, if they fail in this our village will lose another chance at having one of the greatest kekkei genkai. We have to be ready in case someone tries to attack, god knows I can't rely on any shinobi around here. All of 'em are so damn lazy-"_

"_Sir, that's very untrue. We both know you love all your shinobi, they just don't perform to your high level of expectation."_

"_Well they better start, or else they will never accomplish their mission in Konoha and die at the hands of those they are trying to get."_

"_We shall see sir, we shall see."_

000

_Konohagakure_

_Team 7 Training Grounds_

It was early morning when all three genin arrived, feeling well rested and ready for their test. Against their sensei's orders, all three ate breakfast in preparation for the survival challenge. They doubted that whatever he had in store would make them lose their stomachs especially considering how they were very suspicious of the so called _survival_ exercise.

Chances were that they would be fighting Kakashi instead.

The three remained quiet, sharing the occasional glance as they waited easily into late morning for their sensei to arrive. When he finally did, Sasuki was just about ready to punch him in the face when he showed up with his apologetic smile and wave.

"Sorry, a black cat crossed my path so I had to take a detour..hehe." Naruto held her back and just whispered a reminder that they would get to hit him plenty soon.

"So sensei..what's this test?" Kakashi looked at Naruto and saw the boy was ready to go so there was no point in prolonging the event.

He took out a small clock and placed it on one of a row of tree logs imbedded into the ground. He hit the button on top to start the timer and turned to face the three.

"It's set to go off at noon, at which time the test will end." He began to reach into his pocket as Sasuki crossed her arms and spoke in annoyance.

"So what's the test?" She asked impatiently to which Kakashi held up a hand for her to calm down as he took two bells out of his pocket.

He pointed at them as he explained.

"These are your test, you are to get one from me using whatever means necessary. Those two who get the bells pass and the one who doesn't fails. Simple enough I think, right?" He looked amongst the three for any hint of dissension but found none.

_'Good..'_

"Well if you don't have anything to say we can begin when I say 'start'." Kakashi hooked the two bells onto his pants and waited a few moments to gather the tension.

The three genin shared a glance before looking back at the Jounin who, after seeing what they did, gave a smile and nodded.

"Start."

000

Well, that is the end of that chapter. I wanted to finish the survival training in this chapter as well so I could start on Wave immediately but this one was too long with story-building and such. I hope you are enjoying the pace as we come along in Blonde Uchiha and are excited as I am for when we get to the more actiony parts like the Chunin Exam and onwards.

Review!

Peace.


	8. The Squad That Did

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 8

The Squad That Did.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

Hello everyone, we come now to the next chapter of Blonde Uchiha. Here we will detail the bell test and just how the Uchiha siblings are going to overcome their Jounin teacher. How will Shino prove himself worthy of Sasuki's good graces? And what exactly does our lovely Mikoto do while her children are out training?

I know everyone was jumping to conclusions with my detailing of the future arcs but you will just have to trust in me for now. Sasuki does have Naruto and Mikoto now, but that does not mean she isn't still angry at Itachi for what he did. What she will do, well let's see how the story plays out.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Team 7 Training Grounds_

"Start."

Shino leaped into the forest as soon as Kakashi began the test, eager to get some distance. When he turned to look at the other two, he was a bit surprised they still stood there. Even though they did not make any plans before the test, he would have figured the Uchiha would at least attempt stealth.

_'Well..I guess that would fall right into Kakashi-sensei's plans anyway. Perhaps this will catch him off guard..I have to begin on my work.'_

Bugs began to emerge from Shino's skin as he began his own scheme to get a bell.

000

Kakashi watched as the Aburame escaped as soon as the test started, applauding him for using the correct tactic. When the other two did not move, Kakashi knew that things weren't going to go as he planned. The two Uchiha got into their standard offensive pose; knees bent, one arm out and the other close to the body.

_'So..we will move straight to Taijutsu.'_

"You two want these bells?" Kakashi asked, reaching into his pouch for something; the two Uchiha tensed.

He pulled out his Icha Icha book and got to his most recent page of reading. Then he looked up to see them surprised at how laid back he was, expecting him to pull out a weapon.

"Come and get them."

Sasuki growled and launched herself at the Jounin, annoyed by his attitude. She would teach him a lesson with a few good punches and kicks.

Naruto cursed and ran after her, this wasn't part of their plan. They were going to tag team him and grab the bells while he was distracted, not charge headlong into a fight. This was one of those times he cursed how headstrong Sasuki could be.

Kakashi lazily tracked her as she ran at him and ducked under her first punch and caught her low kick aimed at his head. He yanked her leg forward to get her off balance and pulled his free arm back, forming a fist as her body began to fall to the ground.

Naruto intercepted him before he could punch the fallen girl, sending a strong kick for his head on Kakashi's blind side. The man threw his book into the air and grabbed Naruto's foot, adjusting his grip to now hold his ankle.

Without warning, he flung Naruto through the air and across the grassy field where he quickly recovered and rolled onto his feet. Naruto watched as Sasuki rolled out of harms way and Kakashi easily caught his book from the air, giving the two a lazy stare.

"Ninja tactic number one; Taijutsu. Is that all I get from the two famous Uchiha prodigies?" Naruto did not react to his jibe and instead reached both hands into his waist pouch.

Sasuki growled at Kakashi's remark but realized that while Kakashi had his eyes on Naruto, she could attack him from his flank. Grabbing a kunai from her thigh pouch, she waited for Naruto to launch his attack.

The blonde released 10 shuriken at the jounin, much faster than most could hope to avoid. Kakashi used his free hand to collect two with his fingers and used them as weapons to deflect the rest away, all the while reading his book. That was when Kakashi saw Sasuki at his side with a kunai, ready to plunge into his abdomen.

With a solid kick, he sent her flying backward into a tree. He watched from the corner of his eye as a clone of Naruto caught her and disappeared into a puff of smoke.

_'That was no academy jutsu..but a kage bunshin? How would he learn that?'_

"Thanks Naruto." Sasuki grunted and picked herself up, rubbing her stomach where the hit had landed.

_'This guy is making a fool of us..we can't hit him with our attacks alone. We have to synchronize.'_

She looked over to Naruto and saw he was equally frustrated, only hiding better than she did. It was as they expected though, they couldn't take him on alone. This was a Jounin, an elite ninja with many years of experience in all forms of combat. For genin to have to face one even with a handicap was surely impossible.

_'Uchiha do not get hindered by barriers, we break them.'_

Kakashi was waiting for another attempt for the bells when he heard something and glanced into the treeline. That was enough for the two Uchiha as they escaped into the brush while he was distracted. The teacher ignored them as the sound became louder, a low buzzing sound.

_'It seems the third member of the squad is showing his hand.'_

"Aburame, a clan of Konoha shinobi that has its children implanted with special chakra-eating insects from an early age; effectively becoming a human hive. These bugs then can be commanded as the child ages and are incorporated into the Aburame fighting style. Your clan isn't known for its ability in the standard shinobi arts, so I wonder how your insects can supplement this.." Kakashi announced to the forest where the Aburame hid, trying to goad him.

"I've been curious to see what Shibi taught you, but I had to wait for this moment." Kakashi felt a presence to his left and found the Aburame standing there.

"Wait no longer." Shino sent a solid kick to the Jounin's side but was caught; that was when he dissolved in a mass of bugs.

_'Bunshin?'_

Kakashi slid backwards to avoid the bugs reaching him but realized he was heading straight for the trees. A mass of kikaichu came flooding out into the clearing from behind Kakashi and he was forced to jump into the air to avoid being touched.

_'A trap!'_

Kakashi was forced to put his book away and go through hand signs as the swarms merged and changed course after him into the sky.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu.**" The fireball smashed into the swarm, sending dozens and dozens of burning beetles falling to the ground as Kakashi landed gracefully.

"_That_..was cutting it a bit close. I guess I can't read Makeout Paradise anymore." He brushed some dirt off of his pants and watched as the swarm receded back into the trees to their master.

The Jounin took a moment to track the sounds of the swarm as they retreated. A hand reached into his thigh pouch and grabbed a kunai. The Jounin threw the weapon with a flick of his wrist and smiled as he heard it impact.

000

Shino had his hands in the ram seal, focusing his chakra to recuperate the losses of his beetles as they limped back to him. He sensed the kunai and moved his head a bit; the jutsu that now encased his body in chakra did not allow him to move much or else it would be disrupted.

The weapon found purchase in the tree trunk behind Shino and he let out the breath he had been holding in. It was then a thin cut appeared on his left cheek and the Aburame felt the warm blood trickle down his cheek.

_'Well played, Kakashi-sensei.'_

Until he could recuperate the losses suffered, Shino would have to sit out the fight as long as Kakashi let him. His gut told him though that the Uchiha would not leave their target alone for long, so it would seem he was safe for the moment.

000

Naruto and Sasuki had retreated deeper into the treeline where they now rested, kneeling beneath a great oak tree. The two had heard a bit of the fight between Shino and Kakashi; the buzzing of hundreds of beetles and the crackling fury of a fire technique.

"We're outclassed." Naruto said, simply the truth as Sasuki reluctantly nodded.

"We knew that already though, that was just a test of what he could do. Now that we know his reaction time, we can double team him effectively." Naruto thought about it for a moment, Kakashi wasn't even taking them seriously and he easily stopped their attacks.

"We can't just beat him with taijutsu, we will have to use our techniques to catch him off guard first. Since we both need to meet him in close quarters, I'll have to use one of my clones for the distraction." Sasuki nodded, that sounded like a good plan.

"That battle is already over with Shino, he will be after us next." As soon as she said that, both looked up and saw Kakashi kneeling on a branch, waving at them.

"Hey there." A fireball from Naruto was his hello and he was forced to leap back from the branch and out into the clearing.

His eyes widened at the boy's ability, he knew that being able to harness nature-enhanced chakra at his level was amazing.

_'Most genin don't even know what their affinity is..Naruto has done some growing.'_

Sasuki followed him out and threw shuriken at him while he was still in midair. Kakashi reached for his kunai and deflected them easily but saw that Sasuki had stopped chasing after him.

_'What are they..'_ That was when he saw Naruto emerge from behind Sasuki and throw a kunai past Kakashi as he began to slide along dirt in a haphazard landing.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the weapon shred a taut rope and realized it was another trap. From behind him came more shuriken but he saw Sasuki was in the line of fire too.

_'This oughta shake their plan up.'_ Kakashi slid out of the way and watched as the kunai headed straight for Naruto and Sasuki..at least before they both disappeared into smoke.

Kakashi's eyes widened as another Naruto came at him from the front, emerging from the treeline that wrapped around their small arena.

_'Clones!'_

Naruto launched his fist right at Kakashi's head but was caught by the Jounin's fist. Using that as leverage, he brought up a leg to kick Kakashi but had that caught. Naruto flipped upside down thanks to Kakashi's hold and reached for a bell, touching it with his finger. The Jounin's eyes widened and he pushed back, knowing that it was too risky to stay in close combat with Naruto.

_'That kid..'_

Sasuki took that moment as the Jounin was in motion backward to appear behind him and tapped his back before he could push her away. Sasuki rolled away into the forest and Naruto went through hand signs, preparing an attack.

Kakashi heard the fizzing much before he felt the heat of an igniting explosive tag on his back, forcing him to quickly remove the jacket. With the bomb now about to go off, he threw it at the genin while the blonde was still preparing his attack. Just as Naruto brought a hand to his mouth to form the jutsu, the jacket exploded and sent him flying back in a heap.

Kakashi had now broken a sweat and was breathing heavily, his eyes darted back and forth waiting for the next attack. These two were no longer playing with him and unfortunately he followed them to their home turf. Luckily, it seemed that they were out of tricks as Sasuki ran out of the forest and picked Naruto up before they both jumped back into the safety of the treeline.

This gave the jounin a chance to take a breather in the brief respite the genin in his squad were giving him.

"Ninja tactic number two: Ninjutsu. Neither of you are lacking in that ability it would seem." Kakashi said to himself as he reluctantly gave them praise.

_'But how well can they see through a genjutsu? Time to split these two up.'_ Kakashi leaped into the forest and went through a few hand signs before creating his simple illusion on the area.

"_Not something Kurenai would be proud of..but it should suffice for these two."_

000

Sasuki held up the bell in triumph, they had gotten what they wanted. When Kakashi pushed her away, she was easily able to snag the bell from him without even noticing. They didn't expect him to throw the jacket back at Naruto but luckily he wasn't hurt at all.

"Naruto, we did-" Sasuki looked at him and smiled but froze up when she saw it wasn't Naruto but Kakashi standing with her.

His curious eyes that glanced over her and the bell infuriated her with how he liked to play games with them. She sent him a straight kick that was caught and then another that forced him to slide back. Quickly placing the bell in her pocket, she looked back at Kakashi to see him annoyed.

"I don't have all day." Her teacher ran at her and sent a flurry of punches for her, each time she was only able to narrowly avoid the attack.

She knelt down and swung her leg out to trip him but he jumped and kicked her in the side of the head, sending her flying back into a bush. Sasuki held the side of her head as the throbbing pain did not die down, that kick was not the same strength he had been using before. No matter, he would fall soon enough; she began going through hand signs just as Kakashi did the same.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" Both fireballs hit each other right in the middle of the forest, lighting both grass and bark on fire as the jutsu destroyed one another.

It was then that Sasuki noticed something odd, Kakashi settled back into an offensive stance that she and Naruto used. It was a variant of their mother's teachings on the Uchiha fighting styles they learned about as children and only they knew how to use it correctly. Kakashi looked quite comfortable in it though, as if he had been using it for many years.

_'Wait a minute..this isn't real!'_ Sasuki brought both hands up and formed the ram hand sign, disrupting her chakra for a moment to stop the illusion.

"Kai!" She opened her eyes and saw Naruto in place of Kakashi, still under the illusion.

Sasuki ran up to him and avoided his punch, tapping his forehead with two fingers and disrupting his flow of chakra as well.

As they were both free from the genjutsu, Naruto looked and saw Sasuki instead of Kakashi whom he had been fighting since they escaped. He had landed a solid kick on him and then their jutsu met, then he touched his forehead and now Sasuki was there.

_'Wait..there is a red mark on Sasuki's cheek.'_ It was right where he had kicked Kakashi.

"That was.."

"Me. Kakashi placed us under a genjutsu Naruto and made us see each other as him." Naruto panicked and ran over to her, looking over her quickly forming bruise.

"I-I'm sorry Sasuki! I didn't know..are you alright?" She felt his hand tenderly rub her cheek and she grabbed hold of it and smiled.

"I'm alright, although its a good thing I realized it was a genjutsu or else you might have done some serious damage. You can really hit hard Naruto-kun." Naruto watched as she played it off with a smile but winced in pain and he was not convinced.

Before he could press the subject, Shino appeared next to them. They quickly went on their guard at his sudden appearance but relaxed when they noticed the swarm of beetles around him. Even if Kakashi took Shino's appearance, he couldn't replicate the insects the boy held inside of him.

"Shino, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked, surprised to see him since it seemed like he didn't want anything to do with their plan.

"I've come to join forces with you, its obvious we can't beat him alone." Sasuki smirked and held up their prize to Shino who just looked at the bell without any reaction.

"We've already gotten one bell, now we just need to get another. What makes you think we want your help?" Shino glanced between the two and noticed they weren't in the best of shape; dirt, cuts and scrapes littered their bodies and Sasuki had a nasty bruise forming.

"It looks like you used all the tricks in your book to get that bell. Kakashi will adapt, and he will win. Why? Because he is a Jounin with years of experience while we have none." Naruto and Sasuki looked at each other and knew Shino was right, they weren't really prepared to take him on again.

"The next attack we launch at him has to be the last one, and its got to get us the second bell." Sasuki and Naruto agreed with Shino's analysis.

"I think you're still a wild card Shino, he may not know you're with us and he still doesn't know your clan jutsu very well. We can use that to our advantage." Naruto explained to the group as they discussed tactics.

"Yeah, I hate to admit it but even though we could get the bell from Kakashi, it seemed he was pretty well versed in Uchiha training. He was able to counter our taijutsu easily enough and knew our jutsu too. That means he must have some background with our clan we don't know about, and _that_ annoys me." Sasuki said with a bit of annoyance in her voice at the last part.

"As I said Sasuki, I'll be the ace in the hole for this operation. I'll get the bell and recover it from Kakashi, you two just have to keep him distracted long enough for me and the kikaichu to do the work." Naruto and Sasuki looked at each other and started prepping themselves with a light stretch.

"Easier said than done, I've got a feeling this is going to be the toughest part of the exercise yet. Kakashi's onto us, we're lucky he hasn't already come here." Shino glanced to their left for a moment and then turned back to them in a robotic fashion.

"I have my insects covering us in a wide perimeter and it would seem Kakashi is on his way to us. I'll take cover and start my preparations, good luck." Before they could say anything else, Shino dissolved into bugs and the Uchiha were left holding the bag.

"Well that was we-Hey!" Naruto looked over at Sasuki to see her in a fit of anger. "That guy took our bell! Where does he get off?"

"I think you'll have to worry about me before you take off on your own team-mate, Sasuki-chan." They followed the voice and saw Kakashi thunder into their hiding place.

"Now, what did you do with my bell?"

The two Uchiha looked at one another before simultaneously charging the Jounin; it wasn't a great plan they had, but it was a plan that had to work.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

Mikoto finished with her household work, finishing up the last of the laundry. She wiped a bit of perspiration from her brow as Konoha's usual heat was becoming unbearable in the house. It became apparent that she would have to go out soon, at the very least to keep herself moving.

The honest truth was she was very nervous for her children as their test was going on right now. She wouldn't know the result until they came home and she was hoping for the best.

_'I just have to have confidence in them.'_

Mikoto headed upstairs and entered Naruto's room to look once again at the scroll he had made of all the kinjutsu of Konoha. While she was hesitant to use it often, even she knew that it would just go to waste if they didn't take advantage of it.

Naruto was able to learn the Kage Bunshin jutsu relatively quickly, no doubt in thanks to the jutsu being tailored to his abilities. Sasuki also learned well from Mikoto yesterday and mastered the katon jutsu she taught, albeit it was a relatively simple technique.

"Now its my turn to learn something.." She mumbled to herself as she began to look through the jutsu, many of which were either out of her league or would take too long to learn.

Much of what was written seemed to be focused on major techniques developed by the Nidaime like his Jikuukan and Tensi kinjutsu. Something of that scale was not what Mikoto wanted to learn, so she hoped there would be something on a more simpler scale.

_'Hmm..this looks interesting. Its a powerful Katon technique the Third Hokage wrote in, apparently he developed it himself during his prime.' _Mikoto read on, getting interested.

As most Uchiha were born with the Fire chakra affinity, picking up on higher level jutsu was an easy task for them. Something like a jutsu made by a Hokage was definitely something that would peak their interest.

_Katon: Karyū Endan_

_A technique developed by the Sandaime during the throes of the Third Shinobi World War, the user crafts the white hot flames and fires it from their mouth like a dragon. It is incredibly difficult to maintain the heat and constant flow of fire from one's mouth and because of the chakra usage only a few shinobi could be capable of mastering the technique._

_'A few shinobi eh? Maybe they didn't consider the Uchiha when they wrote this.'_ Mikoto read over the hand signs and then placed the scroll back inside the drawer of Naruto's desk.

It was time for training as she headed back downstairs and went to her room for her clothing. As Mikoto took off her apron, her eyes shifted to her bedside. There, on the nightstand lay a picture of her and Fugaku when they were first married; no matter the reason for the marriage, Mikoto still gave a smile for the picture. Her husband on the other hand gave his usual, no-nonsense look for the cameraman.

A bout of sadness washed over her as she remembered her husband and his untimely passing. No matter how much Mikoto told herself that he was gone and their feelings were not true love, she could not help but cry for her husband's death. She did miss him even if she would never admit it to anyone.

_'Fugaku..I am sorry that I could not die with you, but perhaps it was meant to be this way.'_ A sad smile crossed her lips as tears began to flow.

_'With this..I can take care of Sasuki and Naruto and make sure they can be happy. Then Fugaku..then maybe I will join you.'_

Mikoto quickly dressed in her shinobi outfit and left her room, and past memories, behind. To preserve her family's future, she would have to get stronger and that meant keeping her skills sharp. Luckily, the Uchiha Compound had its very own training yard that would suit this purpose wonderfully.

As Mikoto exited the house, she saw the results of her daughter's training yesterday; shuriken and kunai lay haphazardly on the ground and scorch marks mark the dirt. While the grounds were a bit roughed up the training had been successful and Mikoto hoped for a similar outcome as she too began to train in a new technique.

Activating her sharingan, Mikoto began to weave hand signs for a long afternoon of training in the Konoha heat.

000

Mikoto sat on the steps leading into her home from the backyard training, still taking in the occasional deep breath from the aftermath of her training. The grounds were soot stained and much of the grass had long burned away with a relative success as far as learning the technique. With just a few more days of training, Mikoto felt confident that she would have the jutsu down to a simple science with minimal chakra usage.

_'It was right about the sheer difficulty of controlling the flames, but the increased strength over normal katon jutsu is a welcome trade. Its taken me about a half an hour to recover from the use of it just a few dozen times though, so it isn't something I can take lightly.'_ The jutsu indeed took a toll on her stamina but Mikoto felt like she still had the energy to head out and run her daily errands.

Standing up for the first time in a while, Mikoto walked through her home and grabbed a few hundred ryo coins and put them in her pocket. Wearing a purse in her shinobi uniform would feel odd so she decided to just take what she needed. Mikoto exited her home and quickly opened and closed the inner compound gate, leading her to the main Uchiha residential area.

It was here that the majority of the Uchiha lived before the massacre, living in relative isolation with the compound walls keeping the outside world from seeing in and vice versa. Mikoto didn't like walking through here as the only thing left were living ghosts, memories of the people that lived here would pop up uncontrollably in her mind as she walked past their old home or business.

She wanted to let out a sigh of relief when she finally reached the outer gate and left the compound behind for Konoha's main commercial district. As she was exiting her home though, she felt a presence watching her and turned to look at a nearby park that sat outside the compound. Mikoto kept her eyes trained on it for a moment before shrugging and walking off, blaming it on nerves.

As she left, a tree branch rustled in the park she had been suspicious of. It seemed it wasn't just her nerves that were out to get the Uchiha Matriarch.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Yamanaka Flower Shop_

Mikoto entered the flower shop to see it being manned by her friend from the academy, Ine Yamanaka. Married to the clan head Inoichi Yamanaka, the two girls could draw some parallels between themselves and became great friends during their years after the academy. Mikoto had been somewhat jealous of her friend though, as Fugaku did not have such a tender interior as Inoichi did.

Now, she thought regretfully, they only saw each other when Mikoto came to the shop for a very specific purpose.

"Ah Mikoto-san! Its good to see you again..is it the usual?" Mikoto gave her a sheepish smile and nod as the strawberry blonde woman went into the back for her order.

She emerged with dozens of white lilies, each with their own stem still intact. Mikoto graciously took the large bundle and paid upfront with the money she brought along.

"Thank you Ine-san. Is your daughter taking her genin test today as well?" Ine twirled her long hair around her finger as she smiled, nodding.

"Yes, Ino-chan is with the Nara and Akimichi boys. I'm sure they will pass with flying colors, same goes for your two children. You know how easy those tests can be." Mikoto wasn't so sure she would say the same if she knew Kakashi very well but nodded anyway.

"Yes, I'm sure we will be seeing a lot less of our children now. Even though they will be doing the D-ranks, I'm glad that means they will be staying near Konoha. Another benefit for peace time is keeping our children out of harms way." Ine nodded and saw Mikoto was making her way to leave, eager to get the unpleasant task ahead of her done with no doubt.

"Mikoto-san, please pay my respects for you clansmen as well." The Matriarch looked over her shoulder and nodded before leaving.

_'Poor woman..having such a burden placed on her so soon. I hope she finds herself a nice man to take care of her, that Fugaku was just not right for her at all.'_

000

_Konohagakure_

_Cemetery_

As soon as Mikoto arrived, she went straight for the Uchiha section reserved exclusively for her clan. Before the massacre, the area had been sparingly used and housed only the eldest of the Uchiha since the founding of Konoha. After the massacre, it seemed as if the entire area labeled for Uchiha was used up and it was forced to be expanded earlier than expected.

The Konoha Council at least allowed each grave to be adorned with the Konoha leaf and labeled with the decorations the man or woman earned in life along with the Uchiha crest. Mikoto had been fearful they would not allow it because of the reason they were killed, but it seemed someone had gotten through to them. For space concerns, children were buried within the same area as their parents and did not receive their own gravestones.

Nonetheless, Mikoto had memorized each and every headstone in the six years she had been visiting and placing flowers. She would place the flower right on the Konoha leaf symbol and say a few words in prayer for each clansmen or clanswomen. By the time she reached Fugaku, the memories of her friends and close family had already brought her close to tears that her husband's gravestone was always the one that made her cave in.

"Fugaku.." She sniffled and placed the flower on the stone, getting on her knees for a short prayer and words.

"Please forgive me for not following you, dear husband. I must continue to live and stay strong for our daughter and my new son, so please wait for me until my time is done too."

Mikoto stayed for a little while longer before taking her leave, there was still one last stop before she could go home.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Naka Shrine_

Within the Konoha Naka Shrine, the Uchiha Matriarch said her final prayers for her fallen clansmen. It was also here she was reminded of the Uchiha's greatest failure which would hopefully keep them from falling again. It was within this shrine where the Uchiha had their own secret room, a place of many secrets and crafted conspiracies that eventually led to their persecution and death.

Mikoto walked over to the specific mat that hid the entrance way and felt the surface for a moment, thinking about what events that transpired there led the Uchiha to ruin. She quickly moved away and made her way to leave as she did not want to think about such things. The Uchiha were a changed clan and they would not walk that path again as long as she was around.

With nothing else to do, Mikoto made her way for home. It was then that her thoughts drifted back to her two children and she wondered how they were doing. She would have to prepare a nice dinner for them, either to celebrate or to comfort.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Training Grounds_

Kakashi avoided another attack launched by Naruto and jumped out of the forest and into the clearing. Sasuki came onto his flank again and he twisted to avoid her kick, pushing her away with the palm of his hand. The two had been on him as soon as he arrived and it seemed they were onto his presence. He wasn't sure how they would be able to know his location though as neither were sensors nor did they have the potential to be them.

_'Did they team up with Shino? I haven't seen him around..'_

Three Naruto's emerged from the forest and charged him from the front, forcing him to focus on the battle and not his thoughts. The two clones ran around to his sides to hit his flank while what he guessed to be the real one ran at him from the front; a sound strategy, if he was taking on someone of a lower caliber.

Kakashi allowed the two clones to run for his sides while he instead dashed forward and elbowed Naruto in the gut, sending him flying back. Kakashi sighed at the predictability before seeing the smoke indicating it was a clone, making his eyes widen. He turned around and intercepted a kick that was sent for his head by one Naruto while the other was sending his fist right for his abdomen.

The Naruto he caught was sent flying behind him as he threw him over his shoulder and the other one was taken down as Kakashi grabbed his shoulders and sent him to the ground. Sasuki growled and charged back into the fray as the real Naruto was the one Kakashi sent to the ground and was now sitting on top of. Before she could get too close, Kakashi took out a kunai and put it at Naruto's throat, stopping her advance cold.

"Sasuki, if you don't want Naruto to die, kill Shino." The two Uchiha's eyes widened and Naruto began to struggle even harder to escape as Sasuki glared at the man.

"How dare you-" Kakashi shifted so that his knee was right on top of Naruto's neck, making it difficult for him to breathe or move.

"This is what happens during a mission, an impossible choice when someone gets captured. With your current tactics, you are bound to encounter this situation and you won't know what to do. You've totally missed the entire point of this exercise." Kakashi's annoyed voice reached all three genins' ears and he continued as if he expected this outcome from the three.

"Teamwork. If all three of you had come at me, you _might_ have gotten a bell. Instead, you two-" Kakashi pointed at Sasuki and grabbed Naruto's hair, indicating the Uchiha. "Came at me as if the only thing that mattered was the Uchiha passing this test, and you succeeded in getting a bell. As soon as you had that, you just kept coming at me for the bell and ignored Shino while he was forced to fight me at a disadvantage without team-mates." Sasuki was beginning to shake in anger at how he was holding Naruto and was just about ready to charge him again.

_'How dare he touch Naruto-kun like that. He has no right to..'_

"And this is why you failed, you were consumed with yourselves that you forgot-" Kakashi quieted down as Shino emerged from the forest and leaned over to pick something up from the ground; all three pairs of eyes locked on and saw it was the last bell.

"Excuse me sensei, but I think you are mistaken. You fell right into our trap, thanks to Naruto and Sasuki I was able to accomplish the objective and take the last bell. Maybe you should rethink lecturing us and instead try..congratulating us." Shino's analytical voice carried over the dead silence as he explained the outcome for the totally surprised teacher and it almost seemed like he was making fun of him.

"But..how?" Kakashi asked, surprised; Shino adjusted his shades and held both bells up as he recounted his strategy.

"I met up with the Uchiha shortly after they dispelled that genjutsu you placed over them. After we worked out a plan where they would distract you and I would get the last bell, my insects detected you through the perimeter I set up. While you are quite capable of detecting my insects in large swarms, a few easily missed your attention as you ran past and they latched onto your clothing." Kakashi began to catch on and got up from Naruto, allowing him to walk back over to Sasuki and Shino.

"While they distracted you with taijutsu, my insects were cutting through the rope attached to the bell and allowed it to fall to the ground. You were so focused on these two you forgot about me and my insects, allowing me to recover the objective before you had time to realize what had happened." A simple tactic that required no fighting to get the objective away from its guard, something that only Shino was capable of in the squad.

"That was a very delicate maneuvering of the bugs..I'm impressed. I suppose I underestimated your affinity for teamwork and figured you would instead ignore one another to get a bell." Naruto had to admit Kakashi wasn't far from the truth, if it hadn't been for Shino that probably would have happened.

"Shino was our voice of reason during the exercise, if it wasn't for him we probably wouldn't have worked together in the end. Thanks to his tactics, I think it made both Sasuki and I _want_ to work with him to succeed and it was that drive that let us beat you, together." Kakashi watched as both the figurative and literal distance between team-mates disappeared as Shino and Sasuki stood next to Naruto in silent agreement.

"Well then..I guess this means that you actually succeeded in the exercise and used teamwork to accomplish your objective." Kakashi smiled, it seemed he was proven wrong for the first time; surprisingly, he didn't feel bad about it at all.

"Team 7..you pass."

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

"Welcome home you two." Mikoto greeted her children as they returned at early evening from their training exercise.

"Hello kaa-san." Naruto said and then he waited..until the shriek came over the house when she saw Sasuki's bruise.

"What happened to you? Did Kakashi do this?" Mikoto was already planning ways to kill the Jounin as her daughter just held the side of her head with the bruise.

When it looked like Naruto was going to tell her what really happened, Sasuki glared and quieted him down. It was better that she be mad at Kakashi because it was his fault anyway, besides it was funnier this way as well.

"Kaa-san, stop it. I'm fine, Kakashi just got a good kick in..I got him back for it." Mikoto didn't seem convinced but knew that Sasuki wouldn't want her worrying about it.

"Alright, but I'm going to clean you up tonight and no buts missy." Sasuki sighed and Naruto stifled a snicker and Mikoto turned her attention to him.

"And how is my son? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Naruto just shook his head even though Mikoto saw the cuts and scrapes and probably bruises under his shirt.

"We'll see..now how did it go? Did you pass?" The two Uchiha looked at one another before smiling at their mom, giving her permission to sigh in relief.

"We passed." Mikoto smiled and brought them in for a group hug as she bent down to their height.

"I knew you could do it! I'm cooking a big dinner in celebration!" Sasuki and Naruto just looked at each other and smiled, same old kaa-san.

"Did you get along with your team-mate?" They nodded, even Sasuki was starting to warm up to him.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for Shino, we wouldn't have passed."

"Bug boy came through in the end..even if we did the most work."

Mikoto liked the sound of that, it seemed they would get along with the Aburame after all. That was something she was very worried about.

"Well you will have to invite him over some time so I can meet him, its been a while since I've seen any of the Aburame. Now come on, let's eat." They followed her inside, ready to celebrate and rest before they start their lives as ninja.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Aburame Compound_

Shino entered his home in the middle of a large safari of insects on the outskirts of Konoha. The Aburame made their home right in the middle of this area but kept their homes and infrastructure simple so as to not disturb the insects. The first person to greet him was his mother, Nao Aburame.

While the women of the Aburame were rarely seen around the village, they did indeed exist. The reason their appearance was rarely seen outside of the compound was because the women were in charge of taking care of the kikaichu hives within the compound's underground area. It was within this area where they categorized insects, handled larvae, and effectively kept the supply of kikaichu bugs high for Aburame use.

As the clan's primary entomologists and breeders, they were kept very busy and could not be found outside unless it was special circumstances such as an invasion or standing order for all Aburame to show.

His mother had long maroon hair that she kept tied up in a bun while the rest of her face was covered by the usual dark shades and high collar overcoat akin to the Aburame. While both women and men shared the same quiet, analytical traits, his mother still showed Shino the most affection through physical interaction and words while his father did it more through actions.

"Shino, welcome home." Shino took off his sandals and walked up to his mother and nodded at her welcome.

"Mother." She opened her arms and Shino knew what she wanted as she did every time he returned home, he entered her gentle embrace.

"Did things go well during the training exercise and the Uchiha?" Nao asked as she knew her husband and son were not very confident in how the Uchiha would behave.

"Things went..better than I expected. We passed thanks to some last minute teamwork." Shino explained and his mother accepted it, knowing that Shibi would just be anxious to hear about well he performed.

"And how did your kikaichu do? They didn't give you any trouble during real combat did they?" As if to respond, a few beetles emerged from his sleeves and chattered; beetles emerged from Nao's hands and responded.

"They did fine mother, as I'm sure you could tell." Aburame parents shared with their child the same hive of kikaichu, giving their beetles similar pheromones to identify one another which allowed for better tracking and easier synchronization with jutsu between parent and child.

"Yes well I ask because you know your father will be curious." Shino nodded and followed his mother inside, silently glad to be home.

No matter what the village thought of the Aburame on the exterior, Shino knew he was human just like the rest of them. Even with his quiet exterior, the same feeling of warmth one got when they were with their mother emanated from Shino's heart. He wondered if, in the future, he could see the Uchiha as family too.

000

_2 Weeks Later_

_Ninja Academy_

_Mission Assignment_

After two weeks of grueling D-rank missions, Sasuki and Naruto had had enough of the easy work. Their talents were being wasted on picking weeds, helping with laundry, or trying to find lost pets. That might have been fine for the rest of the genin teams, but for the Uchiha, it was a disgrace.

So that was why, on their latest trip to pick up a mission, they decided to ask the Hokage themselves.

"Welcome Team 7. We have prepared your list of D-rank missions for today." The Hokage welcomed the squad as they entered and wasn't surprised to see Sasuki and Naruto get annoyed.

"We are tired of these useless D-ranks, they are wasting our time and abilities! Give us a real mission where we can actually get some experience." Sasuki said in an annoyed tone; Iruka stood up to reprimand them.

"You are just barely graduated ninja from the academy! You aren't ready for combat yet, that's why we give you D-ranks to gather experience." Naruto stood next to his sister and folded his arms in defiance.

"Experience in gardening?" Iruka growled at the jibe but the Hokage motioned for him to sit back down.

"Hey Naruto-" Kakashi was going to calm him down when the Hokage made to speak.

"Genin are delegated D-rank missions while Chunin and Jounin handle the higher tiers because of their difficulty. You understand this I'm sure. However, I do agree that your squad is..unique in its potential." Sasuki and Naruto looked at one another while Shino and Kakashi just waited.

"I will give you a C-rank mission that just came in today, to see if you really do have the skills needed to take the next step up. Its an escort mission to the land of Waves." Naruto and Sasuki looked at each other and smirked in victory, finally they were getting somewhere.

"Where is this person?" Shino asked and the Hokage responded in kind.

"You can come in now!" They all turned to view the door as it slowly slid open, revealing a drunken old man as he fumbled through the doorway.

"This? This is my escort? It's just a bunch of kids!" Sasuki lost her smile but just remembered it was better to wait rather than get angry.

"I assure you that all three of them are trained ninja, and I'm their teacher so I'll be tagging along too." After seeing Kakashi, Tazuna seemed to be comforted.

"Hmph. Well my name's Tazuna, the famous bridge builder of Wave! You'll be taking me back home and protecting me while I finish my bridge to the mainland." With the circumstances, none of them could complain as long as it was something new.

"Squad 7, you are dismissed." The Hokage said as they prepared to bring in the next team for their mission.

Kakashi gathered them together and sent them home to prepare their essentials and say goodbye to their families while he took Tazuna to the East Gate. Things were finally getting interesting with Team 7, but would they be ready to face the dangers of Wave?

000

Glad I finished this, its mostly just a filler because the survival exercise is a necessary speed bump in the story for progression and information. Hope you are all ready for Wave and enjoyed the chapter because its just about time for everyone to get their assassin gauntlets on for Namikaze Assassin!

Review!

Peace.


	9. Sharingan Revealed!

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 9

Sharingan Revealed!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

Hey guys, we are back for another chapter of _Blonde Uchiha._ In this chapter, we will have Squad 7 beginning their journey to Wave, as well as encountering their first foreign enemies. Naruto and Sasuki's feelings for each other are still somewhat confused and blossoming, what events in Wave could trigger them to become even closer?

And just who is stalking the Uchiha in Konoha? What do they want?

I guess we will just have to continue reading.

000

_Konohagakure_

_East Gate_

Kakashi observed as his squad converged on the gate, after having been sent home to gather the necessary equipment for a long trip. This was also their chance to say goodbye to family as they would not see each other for a while. Tazuna waited impatiently at the gate, tapping his foot on the dirt and taking the occasional swig of his cheap ale.

The Jounin sighed, this trip would most definitely be a _long_ one.

"Oi! Are you sure these kids are cut out to be ninja? They look pretty puny to me.." Tazuna spouted as Naruto and the others gathered to stand near Kakashi.

Sasuki eyed the old man with annoyance while Shino and Naruto feigned indifference. Kakashi scratched the back of his head and patted Sasuki in an attempt to ease her.

"They are all qualified I assure you. These three are also the prodigies of their clans here in Konoha, two Uchiha and one Aburame." Tazuna looked them over again and shrugged.

"Whatever, the names don't mean anything to me. Just as long as they can do their job."

Sasuki growled but got poked in the side by Naruto. He just shook his head and began to follow Kakashi and Tazuna as they left the village.

Shino quickly brought up the rear as the five began to travel along the dirt road, on their long trip to Wave.

The silence became unnerving for a while as Tazuna seemed to have his thoughts elsewhere and Kakashi was trying to enjoy the stroll. Naruto and Sasuki had been walking close together but had little to say, as nothing much had happened.

The blonde's thoughts drifted back to Mikoto, and a wave of regret washed over him. When they told her of their mission to Wave, she was very happy and helped them prepare. But Naruto saw a moment of sadness, loneliness impact their mother at first.

_'Kaa-san was sad to see us go, even if its a mission..now I miss her too.'_

Sasuki saw the blonde's sad face and elbowed him in the ribs, jolting him awake. To Naruto's annoyed face, she gave a playful smirk and kissed him on the cheek.

"Don't worry so much Naru-kun, we will be done with this mission fast and be back home to see Kaa-san." Naruto was surprised she knew why he was sad.

"Am I that easy to read?" She just stuck her tongue out in play before looking at the sky.

"For now, just try and enjoy the trip. Its our first time outside the village ya know?" Naruto nodded, that was true.

"You're right Sasuki, I guess I'm just thinking too much."

Shino advanced from the rear of the group to match Kakashi's speed. The Jounin noticed his presence and looked down at him in curiosity.

"Something wrong Shino?" The bug user looked at his sensei before asking his question.

"Tazuna-san is from Wave, correct?" Tazuna grumbled in recognition.

"Yeah, what's it to ya kid?" Shino ignored him instead for Kakashi.

"Wave has no ninja, is that correct sensei?" Kakashi hummed in approval and looked in the sky.

"That's correct, Wave has no ninja. Because they are on an island and isolated from the rest of the world, they don't require ninja to defend them from another country's influence. On the flip side of that though, when trouble hits, they must hire ninja from another nation like Fire Country's Konoha." The three genin took the information in from their sensei's lesson and Tazuna remained quiet.

"Because this is a C-rank mission, we will only have to deal with a highwayman or bandits. Were you worried about foreign shinobi, Shino?" The Aburame remained quiet and began to fall back behind Kakashi.

"No, but I like to be prepared."

Tazuna's eyes flickered to Kakashi and then back to the ground. Naruto noticed the man seemed to be nervous about something but passed it off from disinterest. Sasuki continued to walk alongside him, albeit with little vigor with her hands in her pockets and head to the sky.

The group continued to walk along the dirt paths, the sun beating down on the ninjas unprotected heads. It had been sunny nonstop and one could feel the heat waves roil off the ground. Tazuna wiped some sweat from his brow as the ninja continued on, unaffected by the heat for the most part.

Shino would occasionally send a few bugs out ahead of the group or to their flanks to check for anything, but each time the bugs would come quietly back with nothing to report. The Aburame did not enjoy the quiet of the mission so far, and even though he knew the mission wasn't designed to be fraught with danger, his father taught him to always look past face value and be prepared for anything. That was why he was sending his bugs out, from his own nervousness.

Kakashi could sense the bug user's unease but felt that as the mission progressed, Shino would calm down. The worrying would wear on him if he allowed it to continue and it wasn't healthy for a young ninja, no matter how difficult the mission was. A ninja would learn to face each challenge with calm so they could think clearly and counter any situation.

With the two Uchiha, Naruto was passing his time by speaking with Kyuubi while Sasuki merely tried to enjoy the breeze of the walk.

_'Kyuubi..how much longer do you think it would be wise to keep the sharingan a secret from Sasuki?'_ The beast hummed in thought before answering.

"_**Keep it secret for as long as you can boy, for once others find out, it will not be a secret any longer. You will forever be known as a sharingan user, respected and feared throughout the ninja world." **_Naruto wondered whether that would be a good thing, or bad.

_'I guess you're right, and if I'm strong enough, I can keep it a secret longer by making sure my opponent can't tell anyone about it.'_ Kyuubi growled in approval, the boy was learning.

"_**Yes Naruto, if you kill your opponent then no one can tell the tale of your abilities. If you want to make a name for yourself though, you will have to leave a few alive! Haha!"**_ Kyuubi's evil cackle filled Naruto's mind and echoed around within.

Naruto was so deep in thought, he didn't even notice he almost walked in a puddle of water. Kyuubi's chuckle abruptly ended as he sensed a foreign and threatening chakra nearby.

Kakashi sent a lazy glance toward the water but gave no other hint of alarm. Shino's bugs began to chatter as they sensed chakra their master hadn't declared as off-limits.

When the group passed, the puddle let loose a single ripple as two shinobi slowly rose from within. They had been waiting for the group to walk by for a while now, having ran ahead of them after following them from the Leaf Village. It was time to begin their mission given to them by Zabuza, kill the bridge builder.

"_We'll take the Jounin down first." _Meizu said with hidden glee; his brother Gozu, who hung from his back nodded.

"_Right behind you."_ Meizu broke into a sprint followed by Gozu detaching from his back and running parallel.

Shino stood motionless as the two passed him, their chain just barely going over his head. Kakashi was taken by surprise as the chains dug into his skin, and he forced a garbled cry. Naruto, Sasuki, and Tazuna turned to see the main surrounded by chains with two unknown assailants at his sides.

"Pull!" The chains suddenly tightened and ripped Kakashi into pieces, taking the group by surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted in shock, bringing the two assassins' attention to him.

"One down."

Within a moment, both Kiri-nin were next to Naruto who widened his eyes in surprise. They brought their gauntlet chains up for another attack.

"Two down."

Sasuki leaped into action and pulled out a shuriken and kunai, first throwing the shuriken which impaled the chain to the tree. She jumped into the air and threw her kunai with strength, impaling it through the shuriken to hold the chain in the wood.

The two brothers tried, in vain, to pull the chain free.

"It won't get loose!" With their attention off Naruto, it was his turn to get into the fight.

Naruto brought his arms into his chest and then sent his elbows out, crushing the two's cheeks and pushing them away from him. The brother's quickly recovered and glared at Naruto, realizing that they were up against opponents of a higher caliber than normal genin.

Cutting their losses, they dropped the chain and headed for Tazuna in a last ditch attempt to kill him. Sasuki glared at them and took out a kunai, ready to defend him.

_'How insolent, daring to fight an Uchiha?'_

"Stay behind me!" Tazuna could only cower as the two ran at him, hoping Sasuki would be enough.

Meizu was coming up on Sasuki's left when he tripped on something on the ground. He looked down in annoyance only to find hundreds of bugs beginning to crawl up his body and Shino standing above him.

"One down." He mocked as Meizu screamed in terror as the bugs began to eat his chakra and envelope his body.

Gozu hesitated only a moment when his brother screamed, risking a glance toward him as he ran forward. That gave Naruto ample time to appear in front of him with a kunai poised to strike. He would not allow the assassin to get anywhere near Sasuki or Tazuna.

The Kiri-nin looked into the blonde's eyes and saw only red, his eyes widened upon realization the boy was an Uchiha as his sharingan whirled.

_'Impossible! The Uchiha clan was wiped out, how does this boy-'_ He was cut off as Naruto plunged his kunai deep inside the man's chest, forcing him to grunt in pain.

The inertia forced Gozu backward with Naruto on top of him, still holding onto the bloody kunai. He immediately brought the genjutsu back up to hide his eyes as Gozu fell unconscious, wary of anyone seeing it. Naruto got up from the man's body and returned to Sasuki's side where she and Tazuna stood in shock.

Kakashi appeared in front of the genin and looked down at Meizu who was just now getting released by the bugs; he was unconscious. The Jounin quickly moved to Gozu and removed the kunai, casting it away as blood began to slowly pour out from the man's abdomen. He glanced at Naruto and the wound.

"Naruto, you did well defending Tazuna and your team-mate with the willingness to kill your opponent." Naruto wasn't proud of his lethal attack and kept a straight face at the praise.

"But don't limit yourself to only lethal moves, an unconscious opponent is as harmless as a dead one. Sometimes an enemy can be more useful alive than dead.." Kakashi ripped open Gozu's garments and began to provide basic medical treatment to stabilize him.

That piece of advice struck a chord in Naruto, as he had gone into the attack with Kyuubi encouraging him to kill. It seemed like the logical thing to do too, since he was threatening Sasuki and Tazuna, but now his sensei was telling him there was another option.

"Yes sensei.." Naruto said quietly as the man continued to work on the downed enemy.

Sasuki just continued to stare at her brother, in awe of his ability. Maybe the blush was from envy as well as admiration, but she couldn't deny how amazed she was. With speed even she couldn't follow, Naruto had intercepted Gozu, dodged his claw, and was able to down him in one hit. All the while doing it to protect her, now that was something few girls could boast.

"That was amazing Naru-kun." The blonde looked at her and gave a hesitant smile, scratching the back of his head.

"I just acted on instinct Sasuki..I didn't want you or Tazuna to get hurt." She got an annoyed face and he felt her fist bonk his head, forcing him to nurse it.

"What was that for?"

"Baka! Don't be so modest and take my compliment."

Kakashi finished up and looked over at the two Uchiha, even as they argued they were smiling and laughing. It brought a veiled smile to Kakashi's lips as well.

Shino just shook his head at their antics but quietly acknowledged Naruto's skill.

_'He made it seem easy to intercept the larger ninja while I felt as if I was pushing myself to reach my target in time. It seems I still have some things to learn.'_

"No one acknowledged my win." He said quietly in a somber tone, making the two Uchiha look at him.

"What was that Shino?"

"You say somethin' bug boy?"

He sighed.

"No."

000

Kakashi finished tying the two Kiri-nin to a tree, leaving them to be picked up by proper authorities. Both had since woken up from their slumber but had refused to answer any questions. Occasionally, one would take a glance toward Naruto and glare, but otherwise did nothing. It wasn't long before the Jounin gave up and ordered them to continue walking, although he would have a talk with Tazuna soon enough.

It was on the first night that Shino volunteered for watch duty as the rest got out their sleeping bags, doused the fire, and proceeded to rest. Sasuki and Naruto chose to sleep next to one another of course while Kakashi and Tazuna occupied other sides of the camp.

The Aburame chose to take up watch in a tall tree, releasing insects from his sleeves as he hopped up each branch to a respectable height. While his bugs formed a perimeter, Shino himself would keep an eye out for movement in the tree tops with his view. Content with his setup, he crouched down and leaned against the trunk to get into a comfortable position.

Back on the ground, Naruto was having trouble getting to sleep. Against his wishes, Sasuki had taken his free arm and placed it over her body, forcing Naruto to be very close to her. Not that he necessarily had a problem with that, but combined with his troubled thoughts she was not helping him sleep.

Naruto figured a little fresh air would serve him well and he began to carefully remove himself from her hold. She moaned as his arm slowly slithered out of her hold but smiled when he kissed her cheek. Naruto got up from his sleeping bag and looked around for his other team-mate, deciding to pass the time with conversation.

"Sleep well Suki-chan, I'll be back." He leaped up into the tree and followed a similar path that the Aburame had taken.

When he arrived on the same branch, Shino did not flinch at his presence although Naruto was sure he wasn't exactly expecting him.

"Naruto, you should be asleep." He said flatly and Naruto sighed.

"Yeah well..I'm having a little trouble sleeping so I thought I would get a little fresh air." Shino shrugged and looked out into the wilderness.

"My kikaichu have secured a perimeter of about 100 yards from our camp, so that should give you room to move around." Naruto was tempted to leave as it seemed his team-mate wanted quiet, but chose to stay instead.

"How about we stay and chat? We should be friends as team-mates." He quirked an eyebrow at Naruto's statement.

"Friends?" The blonde nodded and looked into the sky, a somber look coming over him.

"Yeah friends..you see, I haven't had such luck with making friends in the past. It was rare that anyone talked to me in the academy or even noticed me..so this is the first chance I've had to get close to someone else." Shino wracked his brain for memories of the blonde in the academy, and could admittedly come up with few.

"It seemed to me plenty of people took notice of you, especially recently.." Naruto chuckled, but Shino saw him grip the bark on the branch tightly.

"That's thanks to the symbol I wear on my back, and the family that took me in. No one has cared to know me, other than Sasuki and Mikoto kaa-san. Back when we were kids, I was either ignored or hated for things that I had no knowledge about or was out of my control." Shino listened intently to Naruto's story, feeling a bond with him that he had not felt before.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like, if you could change something about yourself? Just to see how other people would react to you differently?.." Then the blonde chuckled again, shaking his head. "No, I guess you wouldn't, I'm sure you never had a problem like that."

Shino got up from his place and sat next to Naruto, surprising the boy. He didn't make eye contact but merely looked up into the clouds, at the full moon that night.

"Yes I have. I used to wonder what it would be like, if I wasn't born an Aburame, if I didn't have these insects living inside of me.." Naruto watched as Shino brought a hand up with a few kikaichu crawling on it.

"Its hard not to think like that, surrounded by others whose bodies were only theirs. To have another entity living and breathing inside you, granting you both power and isolation, is hard to take." Naruto instantly thought of Kyuubi and realized he and Shino were quite similar.

"I had few friends growing up, as it is rare for more than a few Aburame children to be in a generation together. Other kids in the academy would rarely if ever speak to me, but I chose isolation in that case as it was encouraged by my father. Only Shikamaru, who was too laid back to care about my clan's origins, or Kiba who would confront anyone who could beat his scores would interact with me." Naruto looked down and suddenly felt regret, both in thinking he was alone in his pain and also for not speaking with Shino.

"When I was put on this team, I expected that isolation to continue whether I chose to be active or not. It was the survival exercise that showed me that individual skill could only go so far. I'm glad we could work together in the end, as it was as much of a lesson to me as it was a wake up call for all of us."

Shino met Naruto's eyes for the first time, even though it was through his shades.

"I'm glad to have you as a team-mate, Naruto. Its nice to have someone else to talk to..and someone else who shares something inside of them." Naruto's eyes widened, how did he know?

Shino looked back into the wilderness, expecting his surprise.

"My insects can detect a foul chakra inside of you, something even they wish not to digest. But they can also sense your normal chakra too..so I figure you also have a secret inside of you. Its okay if you can't tell me, I figure if it wasn't important, I would know by now." Naruto pondered whether he should tell Shino or not, he had shared his story, it would only be fair to share his.

"_**Careful who you tell of me brat, there are those in the world who would try to harness my power. That would mean killing you in the process.."**_ Naruto swallowed, but Shino wasn't like that.

"I have a..chakra entity inside of me. Its very powerful but I can't really control it." Shino looked back at Naruto in curiosity, a chakra entity?

_'I've heard that spirits can infest people's bodies, if the spirit was a powerful shinobi occasionally some chakra will be left behind too. But to think its this foul..the closest thing I can think of would be a tailed beast.'_

"You mean..a tailed beast is sealed inside of you?" Naruto nodded hesitantly and Shino pondered it more.

"Interesting."

Naruto's eyes widened, he wasn't being hateful or angry at him?

"Wait..you don't care that I have one of the beasts inside me?" He whispered in surprise, as if there were others listening.

Shino looked at him and shrugged.

"I find it interesting as I have never seen a Jinchuuriki before. I don't see why I should hate you for something you cannot control having or not having, just like my insects. Its thanks to you the beast isn't roaming around freely, and if you can harness its power, you can be quite an asset to Konoha as a powerful shinobi. It would baffle me to think people hate you for it." Naruto was shocked but happy at the same time, it seemed someone did understand him.

"So you don't hate me for having the Nine Tails in me?" Shino was surprised it was the Nine Tails but came to find it made sense; he shrugged in response.

"Do you hate me for my insects inside of me?" Naruto shook his head and Shino nodded, there was his answer.

A moment of silence passed over the two genin as they came to find an understanding between one another. They were alike in more ways than one even though appearances could be deceiving.

"Perhaps this means we could be friends then?" Naruto suddenly asked and Shino quirked an eyebrow.

"An Uchiha wants to be friends with an Aburame? I don't think that's ever happened before.." Naruto looked down in disappointment.

"I understand if you don't-" Shino shrugged.

"But there is a first for everything." He extended his hand and Naruto hesitantly grabbed it in a short handshake.

"Friends?" The Uchiha asked.

"Friends." The Aburame answered.

000

Over the next few days, the group continued their travel to Wave. Sasuki noticed a more relaxed air between Naruto and Shino, which she found to be odd considering the two hadn't talked that much before. They now shared idle banter on the walks, whether it be about the village or jutsu or just how the day was. It was making Sasuki a little jealous and she longed to be alone with Naruto rather than be stuck with the group.

Kakashi still hadn't broached the subject he knew Tazuna was trying to hide, the fact that they encountered ninja in a C-rank mission. It was obvious he had lied when requesting the mission, but the question was why? Was he luring Leaf ninja into a trap, or was it that a higher rank was too much for him to pay?

Kakashi's thoughts on the matter took a worried turn.

_'If so..Wave must be in worse shape than I thought.'_

They soon arrived in a small fishing village where Tazuna led them to the docks. A man was waiting there with a small boat to ferry them across, his eyes darted back and forth as if expecting an attack. The bridge builder exchanged a few words with him while the ninja boarded the vessel.

"_Get us back to Wave as fast as you can, we've been attacked once already."_

"_We will have to cross quietly then, Gato has his men watching for your return."_

"Very well." Tazuna said as he sat down and waited for the boat's motor to start.

It would be a short trek, as the distance from the mainland to the island was only about twenty minutes or so. However, because of Gato's thugs and the thick mist they were entering, the ferryman turned the motor off and paddled them the rest of the way.

Naruto and the others got the hint to stay quiet to not arouse attention, but Kakashi felt now would be the right time to lay down pressure on the man.

"Tazuna, I think you have some explaining to do." He gave the builder a look that said he should know exactly what Kakashi was talking about.

The man's eyes widened and his lips stuttered in a response.

"What do yo-"

"I mean, why are there ninja chasing after you when you requested protection from bandits? This mission is too much for the genin under my command, no matter how talented they are." Sasuki growled but kept quiet as Naruto threw an arm around her waist and brought her close.

Tazuna sighed, it seemed like this was the end of the line. Better to come clean with them as they had already saved his life once.

"Yes Kakashi, you are correct that I lied about the mission details to your village. It was because I had no other choice. Wave is now a very poor and oppressed country, taken over by a business giant named Gato." Kakashi's eyes widened in recognition.

"Gato, from Gato Shipping? He's a large trader of goods in these parts.." Tazuna nodded.

"Yes. Before he came, Wave prospered in its own export of fish and minerals found here. He then took over our docks, locked down our fishing lanes, and strangled our town into poverty. Gato..is not a good man Kakashi." It seemed like it from the way he described.

"It was my hope that by building a bridge to the mainland, I could end his oppression by bringing in trade and visitors to see the kind of man he was. Gato may control the sea, but a bridge to the strongest nation is not something he can just blockade openly. Before I could finish my work though, he started hiring his goons after my workers, hurting them or scaring them off. I was running out of options." The genin began to see where the story was going, but could not help but sympathize with the man in front of them.

"On my latest trek to Fire Country for materials, I decided to try and hire ninja to protect me. Even though he had only sent his thugs after us so far, rumors had spread around town he was using ninja to make people disappear. When I looked at your prices, an A or even a B rank mission was too high for me to afford. After coming all that way, I couldn't return empty handed.." Tazuna explained in desperation, he had no options.

"So you went with a C-rank mission and ended up getting shinobi who aren't prepared to fight the people after you? These are only genin Tazuna, they can't stop an army of bandits or a handful of Chunin. You could have gotten them killed." Kakashi explained and Tazuna looked at the three young ones before bowing his head in shame.

"I'm sorry Kakashi, I didn't mean for harm to come to any of you. Its just..this bridge is Wave's last chance to beat Gato. If this keeps up for much longer, we will die under his will."

It put the Jounin in a precarious position. His team was not prepared to take on the enemies being thrown at them, however, the people of a country were suffering and would not survive without an intervention. They had already come too far anyway as they began to approach Wave's shores.

"What do you guys think?" Kakashi asked his team who had been quiet so far.

Naruto looked at the other two and shrugged.

"We are already here, and people need our help. It wouldn't be right to turn back now.." Sasuki looked at Naruto and then back at Kakashi in thought.

"I agree with Naruto, besides, we asked for a harder mission and this is much better than pulling weeds." She smirked and Kakashi sighed, the girl would pick danger over safety.

"I also agree with Naruto." Well, that decided it.

"Looks like we will be staying with you after all, Tazuna-san." The man began to smile wide as they pulled up to the dock.

"Good! It would be terrible if I had to tell my grandchildren that you left me to die and swear revenge on your village for the rest of my life." The party sweat dropped at the man's act.

They were quickly ushered off the boat as the man didn't want to remain there for long. Tazuna waved goodbye and then began to walk away from the small port and into the forest, toward his home.

"Come on, its this way! When we get home, I'll have my daughter make us some food." That sounded good to the rest of them as they proceeded farther into the land of Wave.

A pair of eyes was watching their progress with a building level of excitement. It seemed that there would be a more of a challenge after all to killing the bridge builder.

_'No wonder the Demon Brothers failed, the Copycat of the Leaf is with them. Kakashi Hatake, I will enjoy crossing you out of my old bingo book.'_

Quickly and quietly, the large figure kept pace with them in the trees, unbeknownst to the group of Leaf ninja.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

Mikoto returned to her home from her usual daily errands in a bit of a rush. Over the past few days, she had been getting the odd feeling that someone was watching her go about her day. Occasionally a bush would rattle or some dirt would kick up when she would turn to look in the direction, but nothing solid. Whoever was attempting to play a prank was not doing a good job of it.

_'It can't be ANBU, they wouldn't make such careless mistakes for me to notice their presence.'_ She thought as she entered her home's family room to sit and calm herself.

_'A genin perhaps? Why would they try and play a prank on me though? No, that's not likely..'_ Mikoto opened a sliding door to the garden to allow air to flow into the room.

_'The only other thing I could think of would be an admirer, but to stalk me? That's not exactly flattering..not to mention I'm not interested in anyone for now.'_ That brought up another sad point in Mikoto's life, she had yet to find any man her age she found attractive.

All were either married, unapproachable, or deceased. So far, it wasn't looking good for her finding someone to use for the CRA, even less someone she could marry. Of course Mikoto could go for the younger men of the village, but something about that just seemed wrong to her. Besides, what if they didn't want to be with the Uchiha Matriarch?

_'The Uchiha aren't exactly the most loved in the village these days..'_

Mikoto sighed, problem after problem seemed to confront her small family. Their only choice was to overcome them one at a time. Things would get better when the Chunin Exams would come along, that way her children would be at home and training.

A creak in the floor made her jump and look at the doorway that led further into the house. The house was quiet without her children, and no sound should have been made. Perhaps her stalker was finally making a move? Mikoto took out a kunai slowly from her thigh pouch, whoever it was, they would have a very dangerous Uchiha on their hands.

In silence, she left her family room and peered down either end of the hall. With nothing in sight, she began to creep toward her room on the first floor, perhaps they had come to steal something from her. A pervert would have to be punished even worse she thought as she approached her room's door, still closed.

Quietly, she opened the door and looked inside to find nothing disturbed. Another creak behind her made her whirl around and she saw something look around the corner before getting back. Mikoto gave pursuit, there was someone after her!

"Stop!" Mikoto rounded the corner to find nothing, so she proceeded to run outside and then hop onto her roof to look around.

The inner compound's wooden gate was open and she had definitely closed it when she came home. Whoever was in her home had gotten away, but just the thought of them entering without permission made her angry..and a little bit nervous.

Now wasn't the time for that though, Mikoto had to alert the Hokage about the breach. She hoped her children were safe, because if they were targeting Uchiha, Naruto and Sasuki would be in danger too.

_'Stay safe you two.'_ Mikoto prayed as she began her run to the Hokage's office.

000

_Wave Country_

_Forest_

As the group moved through the forest, the sun beat down on them from midday. Although not as hot as the Land of Fire, Wave did not offer much more comfort in the way of weather. Naruto had wandered ahead of the pack a bit and was looking around for something. Sasuki was on Kakashi's right, Tazuna on his left, and Shino still lagged behind.

The old man had said his house was still a good ways away, and Kakashi believed that they could expect an attack before then. What he didn't know was when it would happen or who it would be. Tazuna had made himself an enemy of a business giant, and that meant few mercenaries or rogue ninja were out of his reach. The first two had been from Kiri, and Kakashi was inclined to believe the next one would be as well, but who?

Naruto had been very careful since the initial ambush as he did not want to repeat how close their assassins got. So Naruto had decided to take the lead and keep himself alert for anything that could be a threat. Of course he wasn't naive to think he could beat every threat, but if worse came to worse, he would be the one hurt and not Sasuki.

_'I won't let anything happen to her..I promised.'_

Kyuubi used what little control he had over his chakra to reach out and sense the surroundings in an attempt to help Naruto. For the most part he only felt animals or the other members of their party, but on the edge of his influence was always something trailing them. It could have been an enemy ninja, but Kyuubi didn't want to say anything unless he knew for sure.

Besides, it would be a good challenge for his container.

A rustle in the bushes brought Naruto's quick reflexes into play. Before anyone could react, Naruto had released a kunai into the forest and the rustling suddenly stopped. Everyone went on alert as he approached the spot and suddenly sagged his shoulders and sighed.

"Its just a rabbit." They sweat dropped as the blonde bent down and picked up his kunai and apparently took a look at the rabbit.

"Wait.." Naruto said to himself as he looked at the coat, it was pure white as if it was for winter.

It was right in the throes of summer here, that much was obvious. Why did this bunny rabbit have that color of a coat if it lived here?

The conclusion hit him.

"_**This rabbit was kept in captivity for the sole purpose of Kawarimi, a substitute."**_

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto turned back toward the group only to see a huge sword come swinging out of the trees.

"Everybody down!" The Jounin ordered and knelt while the others scrambled.

The sword impaled itself on a tree above Naruto, and a figure appeared standing on its hilt perfectly. Naruto didn't even need to know their name, it was obvious by his stature and appearance the ninja before him was a Jounin, an elite ninja. For a moment he was frozen in fear, so much so he couldn't hear or obey Kakashi's warning to get back.

"Naruto! Get away from him!" Kakashi ran forward but cursed as Zabuza dropped from his perch, sheathing his sword and towering over the blonde.

"You saw through my diversion kid, not bad." An uppercut sent Naruto off the ground and a stern kick to his stomach made him hurtle back into Kakashi's arms.

He caught Naruto and skidded back on the ground, cursing his speed. The boy had the wind knocked out of him but otherwise was fine.

Sasuki made to run at the man but was sent a glare from Kakashi.

"No Sasuki, he isn't like the others. This guy is on a whole 'nother level." Naruto wobbled out of his grasp and returned to the group.

"Squad, Manji formation around Tazuna!" All three genin quickly took out kunai and surrounded Tazuna, Naruto in front with Sasuki on his right and Shino on his left.

The Kiri-nin did not seem impressed and kept his position on the ground while Kakashi took a few steps forward to match him.

"So, Zabuza Momochi is my opponent. The exiled Kiri shinobi who ran after his attempt on the Yondaime Mizukage's life." Zabuza shrugged and crossed his arms.

"I'm honored that the Leaf's Copycat ninja knows my name, Kakashi Hatake." The genin were surprised their sensei was so well known, he even had a nickname with other nations.

"But if you don't mind, I'd like to get this moving. So hand over the old man and you can go, although it would be a shame if you didn't try to put up a fight." The Kiri-nin obviously wanted a fight, but Naruto knew that they couldn't give Tazuna to him even if they wanted to.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. You'll have to go through me first." Kakashi set a hand on his headband in preparation to lift it, but for what they didn't know.

"Ah? Is this the famed sharingan I am going to see?" Sasuki and Naruto's spine got a chill when he said that, how did Kakashi have a sharingan?

_'That's our clan's kekkei genkai. Only Kaa-san and..him have it that are alive..how does Kakashi have one?'_ Sasuki could not help but disbelieve what Zabuza said, there was no way he had something that only a few Uchiha ever obtain.

Naruto was less surprised, given the fact he too was a non-Uchiha with two sharingan eyes, however, without knowing the story of how he got his Naruto was skeptical.

_'Kakashi-sensei had one implanted..like me?'_

"_**Well..isn't this a nice twist."**_ Kyuubi commented with sarcasm, as if he expected something like it.

"Sharingan..isn't that your kekkei genkai Sasuki?" Shino questioned as eyes fell on her, she gulped.

"The sharingan eye is my clan's kekkei genkai, allowing for advanced ninja techniques and higher forms of genjutsu creation and detection. I..don't know how Kakashi could have one though." She admitted, somewhat in embarrassment that he had one where she did not.

"Back when I was in Kiri's Assassination Squad, I carried a bingo book with your name in it asking for your capture. It said you had copied over one thousand techniques.." As Zabuza spoke, a thick mist began to roll into the clearing they were setting up for a battlefield.

"I'd like to test that theory myself." He added with a smirk under his bandages.

Kakashi lifted his headband and revealed his three-tomoed sharingan, swirling as it observed Zabuza.

"I'd like to spend all day talking, but let's get serious. I need to kill that man." He indicated the target with his broadsword, making Tazuna stumble back a few steps.

"If you are the first one, then let's get to it Kakashi." Zabuza suddenly jumped backward and landed in a small body of water behind him.

He brought his arms up and formed a special sign with his hands as he channeled chakra into the water. The liquid began to swirl and shape around him as they watched, intrigued.

"He's on the water!" Naruto whispered in surprise as the others watched.

_'He's channeling a lot of chakra into that water..'_ Kakashi observed, trying to predict his opponents next move.

"**Kirigakure no jutsu!**" The natural mist that had rolled in turned into a thick fog, concealing the ninja and shortening everyone's visibility to near zero.

"Be careful, Zabuza is a master of the Silent Kill technique. He can move this mist and find you with ease, so stay sharp!" Kakashi warned his squad as the mist settled in.

"But the worst thing that could happen is that you die." He added as in afterthought, as if to soothe their worries.

No one said anything, but all three genin tensed.

Sasuki's eyes darted back and forth in near terror as she lost track of Kakashi in the mist, watching for their enemy. He could be anywhere and Kakashi could have already been killed with what felt like the hour she had stood in the same spot. Her knuckles tightened and turned white around the kunai she held onto like a lifeline, she could hear her own heartbeat. It was as if she was alone in the world now, except for the predator stalking her in the mist.

_'Where is he? To the left, no the right? Will he come below or above..a moment away from death, this feeling is killing me!'_

Naruto was only keeping calm by remembering he had to protect Tazuna and Sasuki, the goal and duty of those tasks gave him control of his body.

Shino showed no reaction, but his bugs chattered as they began to escape from his sleeves and search the area for their enemy.

"Eight points." Their opponent's gravely voice filled their ears as he began to list off places on a body.

"The larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, collarbone, kidney, and heart. Now..which one do I choose to kill you with?" The three genin froze as their eyes darted back and forth, fearing an attack.

Kakashi brought his hands up in the ram sign and focused his chakra, sending it pulsing out to repel the mist. Squad seven shielded their eyes as wind gusted against them and again their sensei was in sight. Sasuki was still frozen in fear, she could only lock onto Kakashi in feint hope of survival.

_'This intense killing intent released by our opponent..its too strong. I can barely move.'_

"Sasuki! Calm down." She listened to Kakashi as he called to her.

"I will not allow one of my comrades to die." He turned around and gave her a smile, a reassuring one that allowed Sasuki to breathe easy for a moment.

"Yeah Sasuki, I won't let anything happen to you." Naruto nudged her with his elbow and gave her a confident smirk.

"B-baka! I'm an Uchiha too-"

"Are you sure about that Kakashi?" Sasuki stopped mid-sentence when Zabuza's voice was practically right in her ear.

Kakashi rounded about to see the assassin right in the midst of the three, breaking their manji formation. His sharingan saw through the technique and he began to run forward to attack.

"This is the end."

Naruto activated his sharingan and swung his weapon arm behind him where Zabuza now stood. The Jounin had not planned on the genin counterattacking and looked down at his stomach where the kunai now impaled, and then he looked into the blonde's eyes to see two two-tomoed sharingan staring back at him, a murderous glare and scowl set on his face.

"I don't think so."

Kakashi stopped mid-step and was shocked to see Naruto's eyes, they were sharingan too! He had heard about the operation but thought it was a failure..

_'He had them hidden this whole time?'_

Sasuki was still in shock, Naruto had stabbed Zabuza right in the middle of his attack and now he was staring him down with two sharingan eyes? When did Naruto get the sharingan?

_'First Kakashi..now even Naruto has them?'_

Shino was surprised as well, but kept the questions for later. The threat was still on as water, instead of blood leaked from their enemy's body. The Kiri-nin exploded into a splash of water and drenched the four who stood near him and Naruto pulled back his kunai arm and got ready again.

"Naruto..you-" He looked at Sasuki and met her eyes with his.

"You've had the sharingan this whole time, haven't you Naruto?" Kakashi asked and he nodded.

"Enough with the shock and awe!" Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi and swung his sword right through, too fast for the others to react.

The Jounin exploded into a pool of water and Zabuza's eyes widened in disbelief.

_'A Mizu bunshin? He copied me that quickly-'_

A kunai was at his throat and Zabuza inclined his head to see Kakashi, perfectly fine behind him. When he had turned to look at Zabuza the first time, his sharingan had copied the water clone technique. Then he replaced himself with a Mizu bunshin after Zabuza's dispersed.

"_Now_ its over, Zabuza." Kakashi stated, holding the knife close to his neck.

Naruto could rest easy for the moment and released his sharingan, allowing his blue eyes to return. Sasuki still couldn't believe it and was at a loss for words, something Naruto looked quite sorry for.

"I'm sorry Sasuki, I'll explain better when I get a chance. I felt if I kept it a secret, then I could take an opponent by surprise, they would never expect a non-Uchiha like me to have the sharingan." Sasuki just nodded, she still felt a little betrayed that Naruto had not told her something so important.

Zabuza and Kakashi merely watched the genin as both were surely planning on how to continue the fight. They were using the pause to think of what to do next.

"Its over?" Zabuza repeated and Kakashi tightened his grip on his weapon. "No Kakashi, only the attacker can say when its over and _I_...am far from done."

000

Well I'm glad I got this done, I can't really have much of an excuse for not updating other than just not being inspired to write and also a bit of writers block. I'm trying to think of exciting things to do, but nothing really comes to mind in Wave, its just..boring.

Well hopefully the mini-arc/chapter or two after Wave will make up for it, as it didn't happen in the plot of Naruto but it does have some parallels with another certain event in the Naruto verse. A few of you may already be onto me since last chapter, but I digress.

I hope you enjoyed and are prepared to start the Chunin Exams with Namikaze Assassin, because that's coming up!

Review!

See ya.


	10. Counterattack The Mist Dissolves!

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 10

Counterattack; The Mist Dissolves!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

Hey what's up guys, back for another round of _Blonde Uchiha_. Its been a while since I've updated so I had to read over my notes to remember what I was doing. Right now we are at the point where the battle between Zabuza and Team 7 gets serious as the Jounin prepare to finish one another off.

Naruto has revealed his sharingan, allowing it to be seen by all. I know some of you who were alert noticed that it was a two-tomoed sharingan instead of a three-tomoed, as it was originally Fugaku's eyes. Unlike most plot points that I would leave ambiguous, I will give a two-fold explanation here. One is from within the Naruto-verse explanation; Naruto's body was not used to the sharingan and could not cope with its full capabilities, limiting it (visibly seen as two tomoe and not three) along with some of Kyuubi's deviance and own agenda.

In realistic "author" terms, giving Naruto such a powerful ability as three tomoes this early in the story does not make for much fun, nor fairness. I think that's what makes many fanfic stories go down hill is that they overpower Naruto so early in the story and not allow further development in his skills. I have this story plotted through every Arc of the manga (as it follows it for main plot points) and I know when and where Naruto will learn such and such jutsu, further his sharingan, and have it all legitimized without saying, "Oh its a new day, lets turn on my sharingan, oh look I have three tomoes from last night's hard training!"

Yeah, not likely.

Maybe you are satisfied with the result or maybe you don't like my reasoning, and at this point I can only use the old "I'm the author, my story." routine although I don't like using it on my readers. Please understand this is both to make the story balanced and yet still entertaining to read.

This will hopefully be bundled with an _Assassin_ chapter (If not then it will be coming up soon!) and then next on the list is a chapter for _Mercenary_, but I've got lot of stuff coming up with college so I will be busy. Hope all you guys are still around to read and review and sorry for the long author's note.

Now onto the show!

000

_Wave Country_

_Forest_

Zabuza chuckled as the Jonin held the kunai to his throat. The genin seemed so confident they had won, forgetting about him as a threat; only Kakashi seemed to realize the true danger.

"Did you really think you could beat me with an imitation? I'm much tougher than that, Kakashi." Kakashi's grip on his weapon tightened and he tensed.

A clone of Zabuza appeared from behind and forced Kakashi to turn his head in surprise. The one he had captured turned into water as the new one swung his sword.

"You're mine!" Kakashi sidestepped the swing but was taken by surprise with Zabuza's quick movement.

He gripped his sword hilt for balance and kicked Kakashi into the air, sending him flying for the nearby pond. With a deadly smirk, the Mist Jonin reversed his grip and took the sword with him in a mad dash toward the struggling sensei.

Naruto and the others could only watch in shock as their teacher was being beaten.

_'How is he being beaten..not only with our clan's sharingan but his experience! This is..not happening!'_

Sasuki was the most taken aback as their teacher pulled himself out of the water, unaware of danger.

"This is thick water..almost as if-"

"Fool."

Kakashi's eyes widened and he turned to see Zabuza go through hand signs for a suiton technique. His sharingan then came to the chilling realization the water was thick with _chakra_, and it was being molded around him to form a prison. The water orb cascaded and formed around him, forcing him to hold his breath but leaving him unable to move with the density of the liquid.

"**Suiton: Suirō!**"

_'Damn..I thought I could use the water as cover but it seemed he planned for that. Zabuza is stronger than I expected.'_

"You can't escape from this one Kakashi, you give me too much trouble when you are allowed to move." Zabuza's killer glare pierced the Jonin as he spoke volumes on his plan.

"I'll take care of you later, but right now I think I'll deal with these runts." He turned to look at Naruto and the rest who were locked in place, unsure of what to do.

"**Mizu Bunshin.**" A clone of the Kiri nin appeared from the water, wearing a devilish smirk as it approached the three.

Naruto was the closest and he knew he would have to deal with Zabuza if they wanted a chance of freeing Kakashi. The first problem was the water clone, which although it wasn't equal in strength to its owner, it was still enough of a challenge that made Naruto nervous.

"You call yourselves ninja because you wear a headband, but true ninja have gone through life or death situations, had years of experience, and.." In a flash step the clone was right on top of Naruto who could only bring his arms up to block.

"Don't hesitate!" Zabuza kicked him and sent him flying back, skidding on the dirt.

"Naruto!" Sasuki leaped to his side and helped him up, glaring at the clone.

"You bastard!"

Before she could charge him, Naruto put a hand on her shoulder as he often did to calm her. Wiping some dirt from his cheek, he just shook his head.

"Calm down Sasuki, we need a plan before we can take him down." She looked at Naruto, surprised he was keeping so calm after getting hit.

Just seeing him get hit made her blood boil. Shino appeared on her other side and offered his own counsel.

"Naruto is right Sasuki, we can't rush in blindly or else we'll die."

Kakashi knew that his team had great potential, but even this was too much for them. Zabuza was a Jonin of the Mist, he wouldn't hesitate to strike them down as long as they were in his way. They were sitting ducks as long as they remained.

"Everyone! Take Tazuna-san and run as far as you can! His water clone can't move far from his body and he can't move as long as he has me in this prison, that's your chance to escape." It wasn't a good plan, but it was the only one the three could pull off at their current level.

_'Leave? No..that chance disappeared once you were captured Kakashi-sensei.'_ Naruto grabbed a kunai from his pouch and made a hand sign. _'Now our only chance is to free you.'_

Sasuki saw him prepare and wondered what had gotten into him. Did he have a plan?

"Naruto?" She questioned as Shino looked on as well.

"I'll handle the clone, you two get Kakashi free." As soon as he said that, five more Naruto appeared ready to fight.

"But Naruto, how are we supposed to do that?" She asked, not understanding where his confidence was coming from.

The blonde turned on his sharingan and looked at the real Zabuza, specifically his hand holding the water prison. His chakra was focused on that point, holding the shape and strength of the water sphere to hold their teacher. If that link could be severed, then Kakashi would be free.

"Separate him from the sphere and the jutsu will dissipate."

Shino nodded in understanding as he observed Zabuza, he hadn't taken his hand off the prison since he first created it. Sasuki understood too, but she was still so confused about where Naruto was getting his cool head from; she was expecting him to panic, like she did at first.

_'I guess that's what makes him my better half.'_ She smirked as she gave a nod to Naruto and a thumbs up from Shino signaled the start.

"Are you done plotting how you'll die yet?" Zabuza's clone spoke, biting back a chuckle.

Naruto just gritted his teeth and ran forward, his clones following close behind. If he could take out the clone it would be great, but there was a chance Zabuza would pick up on their plan and create a new one. His best bet was to hold its attention while Shino and Sasuki took on the original.

The Jonin smirked and brought his sword to bear as they ran forward, a bloodthirsty glare sent chills down Naruto's spine. He threw his kunai at Zabuza who blocked it with his sword, but also cutting his visibility as the other clones charged from above and his flanks.

True to his skill, he remained calm and nonchalantly kicked one on his left that had let its guard down; another on his right was hit in the head with his sword hilt as he swung it upward to block the jumping clone's attack. They met blades but Zabuza easily won the strength match and pushed the clone back enough for it to hit a tree and disappear.

The last two threw their kunai in an attempt to distract him but only received his full attention. One got sliced clean through with the cleaver and the other one was sent up into the air by a kick, allowing the clone to get back to the original Naruto who hadn't taken part in the attack. As he turned, his eyes widened as he heard the jutsu being called.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" A red fireball launched at him and he quickly sidestepped the beast, realizing that it was poorly aimed.

"Nowhere close brat." Naruto ran forward with a kunai and a smirk as Zabuza brought his sword down to end the fight.

Using his sharingan to predict the movement, Naruto leaped to the side and pushed forward at the clone. With its sword impaled in the ground, the clone had no choice but to try and grab Naruto before he could make contact. Adjusting his body to meet the grapple, the blonde avoided it and sent his kunai right through the arm which severed it.

Before it could reform, Naruto impaled the clone's stomach and let its water flow out slowly. As the clone came to the throes of defeat, the blonde looked up at him and deactivated his sharingan.

"One thing Zabuza.." Naruto panted out, as exhaustion crept onto him. "That fireball..wasn't meant for you."

The clone's eyes widened as it turned to watch the genin's plan unfold.

"Damn..brats." The clone burst into mist, covering Naruto's gaunt face.

_'That sharingan..still takes a lot out of me.'_ Was all he could think of before he collapsed in an attempt to regain his strength.

000

Zabuza found it entertaining to watch the fight between Naruto and his clone for only so long. Luckily, the kid with the overcoat brought him more entertainment as he stood before the pool of water, hands in his pockets and without a single expression on his face.

"Got tired of your team-mate doing everything for you? Come to rescue _sensei_ all by yourself?" He teased, receiving no reaction.

Zabuza scowled, there was no entertainment when a runt didn't show fear. He'd have to create another clone to teach him a lesson.

Before he could concentrate, a red mass crept into the corner of his eye. Turning into it, Zabuza realized that a stray jutsu was coming right at him from the battle between his clone and Naruto! Cursing, he stomped his foot on the ground and a wall of water shielded him from the blast, although roils of heat and steam smacked his face from the power behind the technique.

_'That was close-'_

A swarm of insects charged Zabuza from the front, sent out from Shino's revealed hands. The Aburame directed them with the cold precision that was accustomed to his clan.

"Shit!"

Zabuza launched himself into the air, making the water spurn up and distract the insects while he got his bearings.

_'A clever distraction, but not enough to fool me-'_ In front of him, a clone of Naruto sailed through the air.

He could only watch in surprise as it reached into its bag and found purchase, a Windmill Shuriken. It twisted in the air the best it could to get in a good throwing pose before letting it loose right at the mid-air Zabuza. Kakashi could only look on, amazed at the timing they were launching their attacks.

_'When did that clone get made..'_ Then Kakashi remembered, the last clone Naruto used to fight the clone that got kicked into the air.

_'Did he really think that out? No way..'_

000

_The clone ran at Zabuza's flank while the other ran at him in the front. They were to buy time for Naruto to use his technique, and so their plan was to physically hold down the clone for as long as they could. Zabuza brought his sword to bear and sliced through the other one, leaving him alone._

_A quick glance to Naruto signaled the technique was ready and he suddenly stopped running at the clone. The oncoming kick allowed the blonde an excuse to get airborne; making his body go with the attack and look as if he had been hit. _

_The Zabuza clone had little time to tell otherwise as it sensed the fireball, leaving the shadow clone clear to get ready for its attack on the real Zabuza._

000

Zabuza glared as the shuriken approached, he had to respect their tenacity but the kids were getting on his nerve. However, he wouldn't be beaten so easily; he had a reputation to keep.

Shino sent his bugs flying up toward Zabuza, not trusting the shuriken to do its job. Even though it was Sasuki's turn, he wanted to be sure that the Jonin couldn't get away. Unfortunately Zabuza had anticipated his insects and made sure the chakra water coated them, weighing them down and making them unable to reach.

Although it only gave him a few moments until he came back down, it was enough for him to think of a way to escape.

"I don't think so!"

Zabuza easily caught the Windmill and threw it back at the clone, slicing through it with ease. His triumph was short lived as Sasuki appeared behind him and brought her full force axe kick down on his extended arm holding Kakashi, forcing him to let go and growl in pain. All three fell into the water and Naruto weakly moved over to join Shino at the edge of the pool, waiting anxiously for them to surface.

_'Come on Sasuki..please be safe!'_

She was the first one to appear above water, catching sight of Naruto and giving him a thumbs up. He was about to return it when another figure rose up out of the water, directly _behind _her.

"_You.._little bitch!" He grabbed the hilt of his sword behind his back and brought it crashing down on her frozen form, unable to move.

Naruto wanted to leap across the water and save her, but he was too far. All he could do was scream her name.

"SASUKI!"

She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip, waiting for the blow to end her. It never came.

Kakashi stood in front of her, fighting Zabuza in a test of strength with his kunai; he had blocked the blow meant for her. She looked up at him, surprised that he arrived in time. Even though he was exerting his strength and in the middle of a fight, he spared a look down at her with a smile.

"I told you Sasuki..I won't let my comrades die."

She blushed against her will, both in embarrassment and in thanks. Kakashi looked back toward Naruto, the obvious leader of the group, it was thanks to him they could rally behind the counterattack and beat Zabuza.

"Naruto, that was a great plan. You did well working under pressure to use your team-mates' strengths to overcome a stronger opponent. Same to you Shino and Sasuki, you all did great."

As a teacher with high standards, Kakashi did not give compliments often. When he did though, they were well deserved.

_'If they had me believing in their plan, then it must mean something.'_

"We knew our only chance was to free you Kakashi-sensei, so we worked like a team. There was no way to beat Zabuza, but there was a way to break his control." Naruto extrapolated the plan, giving silent thanks to Shino and Sasuki for working together.

_'They may be competitive, but at least they can be a team when it counts.'_

Zabuza was not as impressed and pushed off from Kakashi, creating some distance between them in the pool of water. Sasuki swam to shore and was helped up by her brother and Shino. With his team safe, Kakashi could now focus solely on his opponent.

"Hmph. I got distracted and couldn't keep hold of the jutsu, big deal." The Kiri nin explained, trying to lessen their praise.

Kakashi glared.

"Don't kid yourself, you had no choice but to release the jutsu." Zabuza scowled. "It worked once Zabuza, but I promise that your trick won't work again."

Kakashi got into a fighting stance and prepared for the next part of the battle. The genin quickly returned to Tazuna's side for the rest of the battle; Zabuza was still out of their league, it was better to let Kakashi handle him.

"So..what's your next move?" Kakashi chided and Zabuza glared.

In a lightning fast motion, the assassin began going through hand signs for a jutsu. Kakashi's sharingan followed them and copied it. The genin were impressed as this was the first time they had seen a high level jutsu used between Jonin.

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan!**"

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan!**"

Two water dragons spiraled out of the water and roared as if they were real beasts being summoned for battle. The two jutsu users concentrated and had their jutsu block one another, making the form smash together and rain water down onto them. They met in the middle beneath the sinking dragon corpses, in a test of strength between their weapons.

Zabuza struggled against Kakashi, not understanding how their jutsu could occur simultaneously. It was true that the sharingan could copy a technique and follow the hand signs, however, the users start at different times meaning the jutsu would not be simultaneous.

_'Does it mean he was-'_

Zabuza broke from their battle and ran around Kakashi, who followed in turn. When he went to form the hand sign for another jutsu, the Konoha ninja mimicked this as well. It was a perfect synchronization, and there was no way he could guess these moves correctly.

_'Is he-'_  
"Reading your mind?" Zabuza's eyes widened when Kakashi answered the question he had been thinking.

He began to weave a sign only to see Kakashi follow.

"It irritates you, doesn't it?"

"You're just a monkey, copying its master." He began to weave signs, this time with a serious intention; Kakashi began to copy them just as he did.

Zabuza stopped when he saw a shadow behind Kakashi, quickly realizing it was himself. Was it a mind game by Kakashi's hand? Or did he really believe that he was fighting himself?

"**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!**'

"But wait, how did you-"

The tidal wave of water formed quickly in front of Kakashi and launched itself at Zabuza, giving him little time to understand. Unable to dodge the speeding rapids, the Kiri-nin could only allow himself to be swept away by the whirling tides, smashing into branches and trees of the nearby forest as it swept him away.

_'I was about to create a tidal wave too!'_ Zabuza growled as he struggled against the tide, trying to escape.

_'He copies my jutsu and does them before I even have a chance to finish, I can't keep up with him!'_

The tide picked up as it neared its end, sending him spiraling out of control through the tunnel of water.

Naruto and the others braced themselves as the water whipped back toward them as well, sending a fury of wind and water right at them. They fought on to keep watching as the battle neared its conclusion, hoping that Kakashi would finally finish him off.

_'Come on Kakashi-sensei.'_

Zabuza was slammed into a tree as the water receded, giving him a moment of respite. It felt as if his body had just gotten done with being in a washing machine; he could barely move his arms or legs from the pressure that had been put on them.

Before he could even look up, a flurry of kunai were launched and hit him in the arms and legs making him scream in pain. Sensing his enemy, Zabuza looked up to see Kakashi kneeling on a branch with a pitiful look in his eye. He roared in defiance to the Jonin, even in his weakened position.

"You're finished, Zabuza." Kakashi said, matter-of-factly.

He struggled to understand, how could he lose? What made Kakashi have the upper-hand in their fight?

"How could I have lost? How is it you can see my movements before I do them? A psychic?"

Kakashi took out another kunai and prepared for the final blow.

"Yes..this is your last battle, Zabuza." His eyes widened but both sensed an attack coming from another angle.

"Ugh!" The needles hit right in his neck, ending his moan of agony.

Kakashi watched as a young boy with a mask appeared next to Zabuza's body, inspecting it. Naruto and the others joined them to see the events unfold, confused. Who was the new person?

Zabuza collapsed forward on the ground, no sign of life could be seen. Kakashi dropped to the ground and inspected the body himself, feeling for a pulse on his neck; he was rewarded with none.

"No vital signs.." He looked up at the boy who merely bowed.

"Thank you, its been difficult finding this one. He has many hideouts scattered across these islands and only a long, drawn out battle would allow me to have him in one place long enough to kill him."

Kakashi looked him over, focusing on the mask.

"From your outfit, it looks like you're a tracker ninja from the Hidden Mist."

_'So young..but he's got great strength. There is something about him that isn't normal though..what is it?'_

Haku nodded in confirmation.

"You are well informed, Kakashi of Konoha."

"What exactly is a tracker ninja?" Naruto asked the other two quietly, not understanding.

Sasuki made to answer but Shino beat her to it.

"They are ninja that are specially trained in combat against shinobi and in the tracking of missing ninja. Their orders are to find and eliminate traitors to the village, to prevent secrets and techniques unique to them from falling into enemy hands." Sasuki glared at her team-mate but nonetheless agreed.

"I see.." Naruto looked again at the boy who had made his way over to Zabuza, lifting him over his shoulder.

"As it was my duty to eliminate Zabuza, it is also my duty to handle the body. If you would excuse me, I would like to get this over with."

The squad assembled around Kakashi as they merely stared the Kiri ninja down as he prepared to leave.

"Thank you again, ninja of Konoha."

Haku disappeared into a vortex of water, leaving the party of five alone.

"Well, I'm glad that's over with." Naruto said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Sasuki and Shino nodded, their first battle was a tense one even if it was successful. They could use a good rest after that.

Tazuna scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, it was because of him they had to fight in the first place.

"Sorry I got everyone in this mess." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "When we get to my house, I'll be sure to have my daughter cook a nice meal for all of you."

Kakashi put on a smile for the team, even as his body threatened to give out.

"Alright, let's get moving."

He took one step, and that was when he could feel his body just _stop working_. Everyone watched as if in slow motion, their teacher fell over onto the ground, unconscious.

Naruto ran over first and checked, he was exhausted from using the sharingan.

_'Just like after my battle.'_ Naruto knew the feeling.

"What happened!" Sasuki asked as she ran over to see.

"He's exhausted from the fight and using his sharingan so he collapsed. It's happened to me too." Shino and Tazuna walked over in concern, wondering what to do next.

"Here, I'll hold him by one end and Sasuki can grab the other. Shino and Tazuna, lead the way."

Naruto and Sasuki picked up their sensei's heavy body and carried him along as the group made their way to safety.

000

_Wave Country_

_Tazuna's House_

A day later, Kakashi stirred in his sleep. Remembering the situation they were in after he collapsed, he jolted up from the bed only to flinch in pain. His body was sore and he had little energy to move.

Tsunami stood above him, hands on her hips as if about to scold a child.

"Sensei, if your body is weak then you shouldn't move."

Kakashi sighed and nodded, laying back down.

"I won't be able to move right for a week, better if I lie down."

Hearing the commotion, the three genin came into the room and sat near his bedside. He looked them over and was glad to see they all looked ok from the previous battle.

"The sharingan is a powerful tool sensei, but if it will make you this exhausted after its use, it might be better to not overuse it." Shino gave voice to what they all were thinking and Kakashi sighed.

"Sorry for worrying you guys.." Tazuna came in as well to check in.

"You took down the strongest ninja Gato has, we should be safe for a while! Take a load off." His cheerful demeanor was quickly silenced as Kakashi and the others did not return it.

Something felt off after the last battle, something that had been nagging at them. The battle wasn't over yet was what it said.

"Kakashi-sensei, who exactly was the guy in the mask?" Sasuki asked, as something about him bothered her.

"Well, he was a tracker ninja from the Hidden Mist. They are a special squad of ninja that eliminate and destroy the presence of any rogue shinobi from their village to prevent their secrets from being examined or stolen." They listened as he explained his knowledge.

"Secrets?" Naruto asked and Kakashi nodded.

"For example, if Naruto or I were to die, our enemies could examine the sharingan.." Sasuki cut a glance toward Naruto as he flinched on his mention. "And in a worst case scenario, our techniques as well as our eyes would be taken for use by the enemy village."

They were quiet, that was a grim reality that faced them as shinobi.

000

Haku sat next to an immobile Zabuza, preparing to remove his bandages to allow him a better chance to breathe. They were still in the forest, having left the Konoha squad behind a while back. As he reached to remove the clothe, Zabuza caught his wrist and undid the bandage himself.

"I can do it." He said and Haku obediently backed down, though he flinched as he watched his master remove the needles roughly from his neck.

"Damn, you were too rough with those."

"Please Zabuza-sama, be more careful when removing them or you could die. For real." The swordsman didn't seem to mind as he sat up and took a deep breath.

He looked over Haku for a moment before huffing.

"When are you gonna take that mask off?" Haku froze and then chuckled a bit.

"Sorry..its been a while since I used it, I forgot I had it on." He removed it, revealing his pale and girlish face to Zabuza who only grimaced as he began thinking of the past battle.

_'Damn that Kakashi..I hate to admit it but the only reason I'm still alive is Haku.'_

"It was nice to use to put on the act, the Konoha ninja didn't suspect it." Zabuza chewed on his thumb, thinking about what happened.

"You didn't need to use the needles on my neck to inflict the near-death state." He stated, although Haku expected him to say it.

Haku knew that Zabuza disliked it when they were forced to do such an act, especially as it was uncomfortable for him.

"You're a wicked kid for doing that." He put his bandages back on as Haku smiled.

"It couldn't be helped, their Jonin was very observant. The neck was the best chance I had to make it look believable." Zabuza huffed but didn't say anything more.

"Besides, I didn't want to damage you in any way. The neck has fewer muscles, making it less damaging in the long run." The Jonin tried to stand but found it difficult to move at all from his upright position.

"It will be difficult to move for the next week or so, but perhaps _you _will move sooner, Zabuza-sama." He looked over the boy, seeing his innocent smile of amusement.

"You are pure, clever, and talented." Zabuza said as a statement.

He smirked.

"That's what I like about you."

Haku blushed and smiled.

"I'm still just a kid, so that makes sense." Around them the fog lifted, allowing for easy visibility.

Haku stood up and prepared to help the swordsman move.

"Will you be ok the next time you fight?" Zabuza glared at the ground, thinking of Kakashi.

"Next time, I will deal with that sharingan. For sure."

000

_Wave Country_

_Forest_

A few days later and Kakashi was up and about, albeit with the help of some crutches made by Tazuna in his spare time. With the looming threat of Zabuza returning over the horizon, Kakashi had set about training the three genin in tree climbing for chakra exercise. The sooner they learned how to do this, and the sooner they would be prepared to fight against an opponent in any position.

He was limping through the forest, on his way to check on the two still training. Shino had done well from the start, as to be expected from an Aburame; because their chakra was constantly being fed on by their insects, they had to learn how to control and manage their chakra flow to have enough at all times.

Sasuki and Naruto on the other hand, while they had more chakra to access, did not have the ability to control it. Not only did this force them both to stay after Shino and Kakashi had left, but it also didn't help their tense attitude since after the fight with Zabuza. Kakashi had noticed that Sasuki was treating everything like a competition with Naruto since he had revealed his sharingan, and he was afraid something had happened between them.

_'It must have been tough on Naruto not telling his family about his secret..especially his own sister. I see why he did it though..I just hope he doesn't regret it.'_

Shino was guarding Tazuna at the bridge, allowing him time to work with the two in their forest training. As he arrived at their training ground, he saw that both of them had collapsed in the grass, sleeping. Their hands were over one another and it seemed they kept each other company before falling asleep; Kakashi smiled at this notion before looking at the trees.

Notches littered their trunks, showing a progressive improvement throughout the day and night they had to train. Although they had not gotten to the top yet, Kakashi had no doubt that by tonight, the two would be successful in their first step in training.

Dropping off a basket with lunch, Kakashi decided to head back and leave them to it. The competition between them would only help the other improve, so he would leave it be. Besides, as brother and sister nothing would get too out of hand as they would always be family.

_'Keep at it you two.'_

000

Sasuki and Naruto were about to fall asleep, it was their second night training in the forest together. After the surprise lunch they received from Kakashi, the two kept training throughout the morning and afternoon. Now as the sun was setting, the two had put enough confidence in their ability to have a race up the tallest trees.

As Sasuki ran, she contemplated on what Naruto had told her about his sharingan the night before. Why he kept it from her, how little he knew about it, and his apology to her. He knew that she would have wanted to be informed of his ability, but he couldn't think of a proper way to tell her when they were younger and had just kept it a secret until now.

She had accepted it, because she accepted him. It only gave her another goal to strive for, to equal his strength and then some day surpass it with her own ability. If she could do that, then maybe she could defeat _him_ too.

As soon as she reached the top, she looked to her right to see Naruto standing triumphantly on the the very top of his tree. He was smiling at her, giving a thumbs up; one she returned with a smirk.

They dropped to the forest floor and, without needing to discuss anything, began to walk off toward Tazuna's home. On the way, their hands became intertwined; neither did anything to stop it. Sasuki smiled and tightened her grip, not wanting to let go.

At the end of the day, their feelings were stronger than that.

And _that_..that was all that mattered to them.

_'As long as I have her-'_

_'As long as I have him-'_

They smiled.

_'I am happy.'_

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage Mansion_

Mikoto had gone to the Hokage directly after her encounter with the stalker, and she was content with the reaction from him. Angered by the danger that this person represented to the Uchiha, he had been quick to act on her request for an investigation.

"Mikoto-san, I am appalled that something like this would happen inside this village. Your safety is a top priority and this so-called stalker must not be taken lightly." Mikoto agreed and eagerly awaited his verdict.

"I will dispense an ANBU team to follow you, from a distance, and keep a close eye out for this person. They will arrest them on sight and take care of the interrogation necessary..we will find out what their purpose is." Mikoto had been trailed by ANBU teams before, she had never liked the feeling of being watched by their faceless masks.

But she could ill afford not to take the protection, not only for herself but for when Sasuki and Naruto returned home. Whoever this was would have to be caught as soon as possible, allowing the Uchiha to move on with their lives.

"Yes Hokage-sama, please deploy your team right away." He nodded and tipped his hat forward.

"They will be with you by the time you leave this office. Do not worry, they know not to interfere with your business, just live normally until the culprit has been caught." She nodded, bowed, and took her leave.

Hiruzen sighed and turned his chair around to look at the village through his office window.

"Stalkers, assassins, spies.." He let loose some smoke from his pipe in idle thought. "When can that family find peace?"

_'Haven't they gone through enough?'_

000

Finished, sorry for the short and relatively un-new chapter but you all know Wave and there isn't much to change. I tried to skip the non-essential parts which is what made it short. Next we will hopefully conclude Wave and crash right into the next mini-arc before the Chunin Exams where stuff gets good.

Since not much new stuff was covered, let me know your hopes and opinions on the outcome of Wave with Sasuki, Shino, and a sharingan Naruto as the new caste.

Next in _Assassin_ is more Chunin Exam goodness if you remember, so watch out for that release soon!

Review!

Peace.


	11. Innocence Lost

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 11

Innocence Lost

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

Hey guys, back again for _Blonde Uchiha _and we will be wrapping up our **Wave** arc here. Bet that makes you pretty happy right? I know it makes me happy so we can finally move on to more entertaining arcs like my own mini arc coming up after this one as well as the Chunin Exams past that! I hope you are still reading and know what's going on because things are getting more and more intense!

Uchiha Matriarch getting stalked, children fighting a world class S-rank ninja and Naruto's awakening sharingan powers. This and more coming at you in our favorite story of Naruto's life as an Uchiha, to be married to the last remaining females of the greatest warrior clan to bless the Land of Fire and destined to be the greatest ninja of all!

Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review!

000

_Wave Country_

_Forest_

Naruto threw himself on the ground in rest. He had been training the entire night and early morning on tree climbing as well as a few other techniques he knew from memory. No matter how much chakra he had, exhaustion still hit him as easily as any other ninja when he reached his limit. Hopefully one day when he was older, it would be easier to maintain his chakra control because even then Naruto felt like he still had so much more to learn.

_'I can't stop now though, more training is what will make it possible to protect Mikoto and Sasuki. I have to keep going until I drop dead!'_

"That said, no one says I can't rest my eyes a bit. Hehehe.."

Spreading his arms out wide and basking in the morning sunshine peeking through the trees, the blonde decided to take a nap. If Mikoto was there she would surely berate him for sleeping on the grass in the middle of a forest, but it felt too good to pass up. All his muscles were sore and could not move an inch in this sunlight, so peaceful it was.

A figure walked through the forest, wandering aimlessly through the trees and picking specific plants and herbs for their basket. From a distance it would look like a beautiful young girl with raven black hair, reaching far down her back; she would wear a light pink dress, loose fitting and comfortable for a walk in the morning.

The truth though was that this was a boy, a boy that served a shinobi that was Naruto's enemy; _his_ enemy. Haku approached the sleeping Naruto, watching his chest rise and fall and listening to his breathing to determine if he was asleep or not. Carefully he approached, making each step as quiet as a mouse. He crouched near the blonde, tentatively reaching to grab his neck.

_'If I just finish him here..then he will not get in the way of Zabuza-sama..'_

As he almost reached him, Haku hesitated.

Naruto's eyes opened and he launched himself up, grabbing Haku and getting on top of him with a kunai to his neck. Expecting it, Haku played helpless to feign a normal person; masking his face with surprise and fear of the attack.

Naruto looked over Haku and slowly relaxed, realizing it was not an enemy but a normal person probably from Tazuna's town. The person's raven black hair somewhat reminded him of Sasuki's and he blushed a bit, thinking it was a girl.

"I'm sorry mister, could you please get off of me?" Naruto quickly got up and allowed Haku to do the same.

"Sorry, you startled me and I..reacted." He scratched his head in embarrassment and Haku smiled innocently.

"It's no problem."

Silence fell over them for a moment as they wondered what to say. Haku kept up his innocent appearance but was surprised at Naruto's ability; he thought for sure he was asleep.

_'This one must be more powerful than Zabuza-sama gave him credit for.'_ He would have to be careful in case they came to blows.

"So..what brings you to the forest at this time of day?" Naruto asked, wondering what she was doing out here of all places.

Haku looked at him and held up his basket draped on his arm.

"Picking herbs."

"Herbs?"

Naruto asked, looking at the basket as Haku smiled.

"Yes, for healing illness and injury."

Naruto looked around on the forest floor, trying to see any unique plants but knew not what to look for. Haku giggled and rose.

"Would you like to help me? I can show you what to look for.."

Naruto got up as well, nodding.

"Allow me to repay you for earlier."

000

Twenty minutes later, the two were looking over a particular patch of stemmed plants and Naruto pulled one out and placed it in the basket. Haku as well found a few things of use and watched as Naruto leaned back on his hands, sighing.

"Doing work like this early in the morning.." It was not something he found fun.

"What are you doing out here so early?" Haku asked as he had yet to find out.

"Oh, I was training."

Haku looked puzzled.

"Training, are you a ninja or something?"

Naruto looked at her and smiled, nodding.

"That's right, I'm a ninja from Konoha!"

Haku could see the pride come off of Naruto and smiled.

"Wow, you must be pretty amazing."

Naruto scratched his head and chuckled, not sure what to say.

"But..what are you training for?"

Naruto thought of Sasuki and Mikoto, the two most important people in his life.

"To become stronger."

Haku noticed his joking attitude take a serious tone and realized training was important to him.

"But you already look pretty strong.."

Naruto looked into the sky, thinking of the Hokage and Kakashi sensei. No, they were strong..he still had a long way to go before he was strong enough.

"No, I need to get even stronger."

Haku narrowed his eyes as he was soon to learn what drove the blonde to train so hard. He wondered if it would be selfish, self-centered reasons that he had come to expect from most ninja.

"For what reason?"

Naruto looked Haku straight in the eye, not even hesitating.

"To protect the people precious to me, I have to get stronger."

Haku's eyes widened, Naruto sounded.._like_ him.

"Precious people?"

Naruto looked at the ground as he imagined his family, smiling.

"My mother, Mikoto and my sister, Sasuki. I.." Naruto tried to think of the right words but just shook his head after a moment. "..would do anything for them."

Haku heard that and smiled.

"A person becomes truly strong when they have someone they wish to protect and cherish. You draw from those feelings and feel strength, right?"

Naruto thought about and knew she was right, he _did_ feel stronger when he was doing something for Sasuki or Mikoto.

"Yeah, I do feel that."

Haku got up and grabbed his basket, turning to leave.

"You will become strong."

_'I too have someone I wish to protect..'_

Naruto seemed confused by her manner of speaking, as if she knew him more than she let on.

"Let's meet again somewhere, far from this place."

_'If we don't already meet one another with a blade.'_

Naruto smiled.

"I'd like that."

Haku then turned around to say something else.

"Oh and by the way mister..I'm a guy too."

Naruto had to take a moment to realize what was just said, giving Haku the chance to walk off before Naruto freaked out. How could he think that a guy was cute? He looked just like a girl, how was he supposed to know?

_'What the hell?'_

000

Sasuki walked through the forest, hands in her pockets as she was deep in thought. The baka had stayed out late to train, even after they had completed the exercise. She had planned on talking with him that night too, about their future and what to do when they got home to Kaa-san.

_'But no..he just **had** to go and train. I'll make sure he gets an earful when I see him..'_

Sasuki looked up and saw someone, a girl walking toward her. She carried a basket and seemed like she was heading home from collecting flowers or something.

Their eyes met for a moment and a cold chill ran down the Uchiha's spine. Passing her, Sasuki turned to get another look to try and figure out if she had seen her somewhere before.

_'What was that feeling just now..'_

Shrugging it off, she continued to walk on and soon found Naruto sitting on the ground with a dazed look on his face. Of course she couldn't realize what he was thinking or what had just happened, but her brain pieced things together a little differently from what had actually happened. While Naruto was still trying to figure out how something like Haku being a boy could be real, Sasuki stomped up to him.

"YOU BAKA! LOOKING AT OTHER GIRLS I SEE!"

She bashed him over the head, making him fall to the ground and wake up in pain.

"OW! Sasuki-chan what was-"

"COME WITH ME YOU IDIOT!"

Naruto was then dragged by the ear all the way back to Tazuna's house by an irate Sasuki. What a misunderstanding that was, something that was complained about by Naruto to Sasuki for years to come.

000

_Wave Country_

_Tazuna's House_

That night, the Leaf shinobi ate with Tazuna's family at the dinner table. It had been awkwardly silent since Sasuki had arrived pulling Naruto inside, by the ear no less. There had been no explanation rather than Naruto's constant attempt at apologizing and Sasuki promptly ignoring him and his pleas. Tsunami laughed at how cute they were while Kakashi and Shino could only shake their heads in confusion.

They ate in company though, so spirits were high. With the hard work they were doing at the bridge, Tazuna felt he should make mention of it while all the Leaf ninja were gathered.

"The bridge is almost complete, thanks to you." He smiled.

Kakashi just nodded while the others smiled a bit in pride of their own abilities.

Tsunami took the finished dishes to be washed.

"Don't work yourself so hard father, it will be completed when its completed."

Tazuna laughed but then coughed, taking a more serious look.

"You know, I meant to ask you why you are still here even after I lied about the mission details." Kakashi clasped his hands together in thought as the others waited for a response.

"Not doing the right when you know it is right is the coward's way..there are no weak soldiers under a valiant commander." He recited from memory of what his sensei once said.

He saw their confused looks and smiled.

"A quote from our previous Hokage."

As the adults spoke, Inari looked at Naruto. He was still covered in dirt and grime from his training earlier that day. It made him cringe as he thought of his father, who was like a hero to him, who worked so hard for the village..only to be killed by Gato.

Tears came to his eyes as he looked at the blonde who only brought on the memories of his past. He couldn't help himself, he had to say something to make it stop.

"Why.." His voice croaked, biting back a sob.

Naruto looked over at Inari and thought he didn't look so well.

"What was that?"

That brought everyone's attention over to Inari as he stood up from his seat, glaring at Naruto.

"Why..why do you train so hard just so you can end up dying? No matter how hard you train, no matter what you say, the strong will always beat the weak!"

Inari bit his lip and cried, letting it all out in the stunned silence that followed his outburst. Naruto thought over what he said and his eyes hardened as he looked at the broken boy; he pitied him for his loss. For him to feel so strongly that way, it must have hurt him badly.

"You don't know anything about me."

Naruto said and making Inari glare at him.

"Shut up! It makes me angry when I watch you, you don't know anything about this country or what has happened here! How could you? You don't know anything about real pain, always smiling!"

Naruto met his gaze, making him flinch under the older boy's pressure. Tsunami couldn't believe what she was hearing and was about to intervene when Naruto spoke.

"Is that all you can do is cry? I learned a long time ago that crying doesn't solve anything..that's when I actually did something about my problems. I guess that's what makes us different.."

His words stung Inari in a way no one had anticipated and the younger boy could only look away and continue crying. Sasuki looked at Naruto and saw how serious he looked, she hadn't seen him like this in a long time. Without a word he got up and went outside for a walk.

"Naruto.." Sasuki said in a faint tone, worried.

"Go after him." Kakashi said, giving her permission she had been waiting for.

After she went after him and things settled down, Inari went outside to sit on the dock and calm down. Kakashi followed him out after a bit and sat down next to him, startling him.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked and Inari just shrugged.

It was silent for a while before Kakashi spoke up.

"I'm sorry about what Naruto said, it must have come off pretty harsh back there.."

Inari said nothing but seemed to listen, so Kakashi continued.

"Its hard to understand without knowing his past, you see, Naruto..he was alone for a very long time."

Inari looked up at Kakashi with interest.

"No parents, no friends, no one to care for him. He felt pain, a pain of loneliness during his childhood that no one could take away."

Kakashi sighed, it had been a while since he had told such a sad story.

"After a while..he just stopped crying. He stopped caring about what others would think of him and did as he pleased, I guess he was just tired of being sad."

Inari couldn't believe that Naruto had such a rough past with how happy he always seemed to be.

"The reason he is so happy now is because of his new family, Sasuki and her mother Mikoto. They adopted him some years back and ever since then they have never separated. Now that he has precious people, Naruto trains hard so he can protect them..he is afraid of losing them, the love they give him."

"_He doesn't..want to lose them._" Inari whispered, understanding his feelings.

"Those words that Naruto said to you in there..they are probably the same ones he had been telling himself for all those years he was alone."

Kakashi smiled and Inari suddenly felt..better.

_'I understand now..'_

000

The following morning in the room where the genin slept, rays of sunshine peeked through the window to greet Naruto's face. The sudden change in temperature irritated him and made him wake up, rising up quickly. Looking around to see empty beds and the sun high in the sky, Naruto immediately realized he had overslept and had been left behind by the others.

"Damn!"

He quickly got out of his night clothes and put on his usual Uchiha garments, almost falling over as he slipped his pants on while trying to put his sandals on at the same time. Tying his forehead protector tight, Naruto walked over to the door to open it but heard shouting and found the voices weren't ones he had heard before.

_'What's going on..'_

Naruto slid the door open slightly to look into the main room and his eyes widened.

_'These guys must be-'_

"GET BACK INARI!"

Tsunami shouted as two of Gato's thugs, Zori and Waraji, barged their way into the house and approached the woman. Inari cowered in the doorway to the kitchen and right in front of Naruto's room where he watched the scene unfold.

"Gato needs the woman as a hostage..he didn't say anything about a kid." Waraji said as he began to unsheathe his sword.

Tsunami screamed and made them stop in their tracks.

"NO! Don't hurt my son, I'll do anything!" Zori smiled and looked back at his partner who put his weapon away, turning to Inari.

"Looks like your mom came through for you this time kid."

They approached her with rope and she submitted to them. No one heard the door slide open as Naruto leaped over Inari's head and kicked Waraji in the head, making him go down for the count. Zori was about to tie her wrists up when he saw Waraji fall and look behind to see what had happened.

"What the-" An elbow to his stomach knocked the wind right out of him and he saw Naruto crouching below him.

_'Its..the ninjas..'_

Naruto pulled his elbow back and sent Zori flying back by hitting him hard in the face. Tsunami and Inari could only watch in awe as Naruto pulled both unconscious samurai outside and rendered them unable to move. He came back inside to check and see both were alright.

"Tsunami-san, Inari, are you two okay?"

Tsunami had been embraced tightly by her son and she looked up at him, bowing her head in thanks.

"Yes Naruto-san, thanks to you."

Naruto smiled as he made sure his thigh and hip pouches were on tight.

"Good, those two shouldn't make anymore trouble for a while. I need to head to the bridge though..someone precious to me is in danger."

He gave them a wave before running out the door to go and help Kakashi and the others who were probably already fighting. Tsunami breathed a sigh of relief and Inari watched him run off, remembering what Kakashi said.

_'He is going to go protect Sasuki..his precious person.'_

His thoughts wandered to Tazuna and his eyes hardened.

_'I have someone precious I need to protect too..'_

000

_Wave Country_

_Bridge_

Sasuki and Haku met, kunai and senbon needle clashing in the middle of the bridge. Zabuza stood off to one side with Kakashi, Shino, and Tazuna on the other. They had laid a trap for the bridge builder, luckily, they still outnumbered the assassins even without Naruto.

Sasuki was also making it apparent she was more than a match for Haku as they attacked and parried one another.

Zabuza watched with interest.

_'So..she can keep up with Haku's speed. Impressive.'_

Kakashi looked over at Shino who was watching the battle with interest.

"Shino, stay with Tazuna and don't get far from me."

The Aburame took position in front of Tazuna as his kikaichu began to awaken beneath this skin.

_'Its getting to the good part.'_

Haku met Sasuki again and locked her in stalemate, speaking through gritted teeth.

"I don't want to have to kill you..but you won't back down, right?"

Sasuki smirked.

"What are you, stupid?" Haku scoffed.

"You won't be ready for my next move, even if you can keep up with my speed."

Sasuki pushed back against him, ignoring his taunt.

"You see, there is water underneath us..and I am keeping your arm busy." Haku began going through hand signs with one hand, shocking the Leaf ninja.

Even Kakashi couldn't believe what he was seeing.

_'To focus chakra for a technique with just one hand is very advanced..even I can't do it!'_

Zabuza just smiled, _this_ was why Haku was so useful to him. His myriad of abilities made for being both surprising and deadly to the opponents that would face him.

"**Sensatsu Suishō!**" Water globules rose into the air and formed into ice needles, all poised to strike Sasuki.

Haku launched himself backward as the needles came crashing down while Sasuki remained in position, eyes closed and concentrating.

_'Mold chakra, balance the weight, send to my legs and..'_

She launched herself back just as the needles hit, masking her retreat. Taking advantage of it, she jumped into the air while Haku remained focused on the needle attack that was still not visible. When he could see she avoided it, he looked up and watched as she threw shuriken down at him, forcing him to evade backward.

As he backed up, Sasuki appeared behind him with a deadly smirk.

"You are slow, you know that?"

Haku's eyes widened under his mask and he turned to meet her attack, forcing himself to crouch as she used her kunai to slice horizontally. Having fallen for her feint, Sasuki built up strength in her leg and kicked Haku right back to where Zabuza stood.

Haku felt his master's annoyed gaze and quickly got back up.

"You'll never win if you keep up like that Haku. We don't have time to waste.." Haku stepped forward, gathering chakra.

"I understand, Zabuza-sama."

Sasuki felt a chill run up her spine as the air around her began to grow cold and slabs of ice began to materialize...

000

By the time Naruto arrived in sight of the battle, it was clear that Sasuki was on the losing side. While Kakashi and Zabuza skirmished with their blades, Shino could only watch from the sidelines as she was torn apart in the ice prison. His bugs had proven ineffective against dissolving the jutsu, later explained by Kakashi that it was a kekkei genkai, a powerful jutsu that's chakra was not so easy to get rid of.

Torn between defending Tazuna and wanting to help his team-mate, he was ordered by Kakashi to stay by the bridge builder and hesitantly did so.

_'Come on Sasuki..'_ He was hoping she would come up with a plan, but she had been nailed many times by the needles and was starting to slow.

Sasuki deflected more needles but another imbedded itself in her thigh, making her grunt in pain and go down on one knee. She scowled, the attacks were too fast and she couldn't predict them in time. It was as if he was everywhere at once; like Naruto's shadow clones, it was as if there was one Haku in each mirror throwing senbon at her.

"You are beginning to tire..its coming to the end."

Haku taunted from his mirror, trying to goad her to surrender. If they did not finish before Naruto arrived, things would get nasty.

"Shut up!" She shouted in defiance although there was little bite behind it.

There were no options left, this next barrage would take her down for sure. Haku readied his needles and aimed for non-vital spots, making sure she would be out of the fight but unharmed. As the needles released from his fingers, he felt a new presence enter his ice prison's influence.

Sasuki's eyes widened as she saw him stand in front of her, not believing it.

"Naruto..?"

His sharingan awakened, Naruto brought up a kunai and effortlessly blocked every single needle from getting anywhere close to their marks. Turning back to address his sister, his confident smirk made her cheeks blush red.

"The hero always shows up late."

Catching herself before she could blush further, Sasuki coughed to steady herself and glared at Naruto.

"You idiot! You could have been a lot more help outside these mirrors than being stuck in here with me!" Naruto scratched his head and chuckled.

"Oh..guess I didn't think about that part."

She smacked her head in annoyance to his ignorance of actual shinobi tactics. Haku lost the edge of a smile when he realized things were only going to get worse from here on out. Naruto had the sharingan and both Uchiha were powerful in their own right, he needed to take one out of the equation.

Sasuki would be that one, she was already weak from his attacks.

_'I just have to get around his guard by an overwhelming amount of attacks.'_ Haku readied himself again while the two began to focus on the mirrors.

Naruto's eyes tracked each, trying to find the weakness behind the technique.

_'Kyuubi..what is this? I haven't seen this kind of chakra before..'_ Kyuubi observed through his eyes and recognized the technique.

"_**Its a Kekkei Genkai technique that allows the user to manipulate ice. Looks like this guy is using mirrors to act as mediums for his body, entering them freely at high speeds. Keep your eyes on him when he attacks and try to find a pattern or some way to hit him, that's the only way you'll win."**_

Naruto watched as Haku left a mirror's protection and launched dozens more needles at them. He noticed their target was not him but Sasuki and quickly moved to intercept, blocking all that he could. A few would get through though and hit her, so Naruto was forced to use his body to block these attacks.

Sasuki, unable to keep up with Haku or Naruto's speed could only watch as her brother was hurt in the same way she was. Her frustration boiled over into an even worse combination with her worry over Naruto's well being. How could she let him get hurt on her behalf?

"Idiot! Stop protecting me, just get him!"

Naruto blocked another needle as he tracked Haku's movements.

_'Easier said than done..there!'_

He saw an opening and launched his kunai, scoring a glancing hit on Haku's sleeve. Even then, it was enough to make the ice user hesitate when he realized Naruto was able to track his movement enough to hit him.

_'Damn..has he already caught up?'_

"**Kage Bunshin!**"

Naruto created a few clones of himself and enveloped Sasuki, waiting for the next attack. With three hundred sixty degree vision, they would hopefully be able to hit Haku again and track him easier. The plan was foiled by the sheer amount of attacks as Haku wore down the one hit clones, forcing Naruto back on the defensive.

As another clone was defeated, Naruto tracked Haku's movements and went through hand signs. Haku was about to go for a defenseless Sasuki when his peripheral vision caught sight of a red-orange object.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**"

Naruto's fireball was able to graze Haku's leg, although he was able to move out of the way last minute. This forced the ice user to cut short his attack and return to the safety of a mirror.

Sasuki saw the attack had hit and cheered for Naruto who took a deep breath as he was losing stamina. They had been at it for over twenty minutes, the constant use of chakra was wearing on him. He couldn't stop though, not while Sasuki was in danger.

"You did it Naruto! One more hit like that and it'll be over!"

Naruto looked at her and gave a smile, despite how he was feeling.

"Yeah..just a little longer." He said, feeling out of breath.

Haku wished he could stop but it was too late to end now. He would have to end it now if he were to have any chance of helping Zabuza.

_'I'm sorry it had to come to this..I had hoped we would not have to go this far.'_ He thought as he readied his senbon for a final attack.

Naruto senses movement and readies himself, seeing Haku dive forward toward him. Then, at the last second, he changed directions so he could get an angle on Sasuki. Naruto's eyes widened and he tried desperately to get into position to deflect the attacks but knew he would not move in time.

_'No! I won't let it end like this..'_

Sasuki saw Haku coming at her and readied her weapon, accepting what would come. Just as the needles were about to hit, Naruto's body appeared in front of her; she watched as he was pushed back a bit by the attack while he grunted in pain.

Haku, taken by surprise, reached out his hands to stop but instead was grappled by Naruto's outreached palms, swung around, and thrown back into the nearest mirror. He slid down the ice, stunned by the sudden blow.

Sasuki could only watch in horror as Naruto slowly fell backward, hurt and exhausted. She woke from her stupor and caught him, holding his wounded body in her arms. Her eyes could only wander over him, looking at every wound and the blood and wondering if it was real and how it was happening to _her_ Naruto of all people?

"No..no.." She began to cry. "Why..why did you protect me?"

Even in his situation, Naruto's smile prevailed.

"You..and I both..know why Sasuki."

She looked into his eyes, tears crawling down her cheecks. Their warmth was felt by Naruto as they hit his cheeks, running down his face and down his mouth.

"It isn't supposed to be this way..it can't be like in the stories where the man saves the princess! I'm not..I'm not supposed to be weak! I'm an Uchiha!" She screamed, not understanding why this had happened.

Naruto tried to laugh but only coughed, some blood appeared on his lip.

"I'm sorry..I know you never liked it when I would try and help. There was just..nothing else I could do though, but protect you. I could never let anything..happen to you." He cringed in pain and Sasuki looked at him, still not getting it.

"Why..WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT ME?"

Naruto just smiled, a peaceful smile.

"Because.._I love you Sasuki._" He whispered the last part, his voice losing strength as he fell into a deep sleep.

Sasuki shook him, trying to get him to wake back up. It was to no avail, the attack had taken too much of a toll on Naruto's body.

_'No..don't tell me..he can't be-'_

"Naruto..? Naruto!"

Haku got back up and spoke out loud, explaining what happened.

"He jumped into my attack, knowing it was a trap..so he could protect someone important to him."

Sasuki could barely hear, her quiet sobs almost drowning Haku out.

"Is this the first time you have seen a friend die?.." Haku hesitated for a moment when he heard her say something.

"I..love you too Naruto. I wanted..to grow up with you and be with you, always. I never meant it when I called you an idiot, I just..didn't know how to say it." Her sobs ended but her body still shook with pain and loss

Haku took the moment of break to meld back into his ice mirror.

"This is the path of a ninja, Naruto knew it well and still sacrificed himself."

It became quiet for a moment before Sasuki spoke up, her tone taking a venomous turn.

"Shut up.."

He watched as she gently laid Naruto down on the ground.

"Just shut up..you don't deserve to say his name."

Haku felt a very strong killing intent arise from the girl as she stood up, knowing there was trouble ahead.

"I'll kill you...YOU MURDERER!"

She turned around and gave Haku a deadly glare. There was something off about it though and he then realized with sudden understanding that he had only made things worse. Sasuki had awakened her sharingan and was now glaring at him with a look that could kill.

Haku decided not to wait and launched himself at her, hopeful she could not keep up like Naruto could. It was clear that this was not the case though as she took out a kunai and threw it at him with perfect accuracy. Just barely deflecting it, he realized that she had even better perception with the kekkei genkai than Naruto did.

Looking down, he saw that she was gone and realized the kunai was a trap. In front of him, in mid-air, was where Sasuki was as she launched a bone shattering punch that sent him flying back into a mirror. Allowing her feet to grab hold of a mirror at the top of a prison, she used that as a point to jump forward and gain momentum.

"DIE!"

Haku had just recovered from the first hit when she was on him again. The momentum she received was more than either had anticipated, and her next punch sent him _through_ the mirror, shattering the jutsu that had trapped them.

000

Kakashi and Zabuza stared down one another, the ground around them cracked from the battle they had been having. Neither was able to gain an upper hand and only now they were taking a small breather before going at it again. As the battle had moved farther from Sasuki and Haku, Shino had stayed near Kakashi and did not know what had happened with the girl.

"Tired Kakashi?" Zabuza goaded, stretching his neck.

"I'm just getting started." He threw back.

They were interrupted by a loud scream and a concentrated but intense release of chakra. Something was going wrong with the fight between Sasuki and Haku and Kakashi knew that it couldn't be good. He would have to end the fight with Zabuza quick and go help the Uchiha girl.

Zabuza grunted and fell back into the mist, allowing it to hide him from the sharingan's view. Kakashi released a pouch on his vest and made use of the scroll inside, using the blood from a previous wound he had suffered (purposely) to Zabuza for just this purpose.

"**Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!**" He slammed the scroll onto the ground, releasing what looked like fissures into the ground.

"Shino, now!" The bug user nodded and let the bugs do their work, tearing down the chakra mist and clearing Kakashi's view to Zabuza.

Before the Swordsman could even react to his technique being dispelled, dogs began to bite and latch onto him from the ground. Unable to dodge or break free, Zabuza could only grunt in pain from their bites and watch as Kakashi approached.

"It's over Zabuza.." He grabbed his right hand with his other and began to gather his chakra.

"**Raikiri!**"

Zabuza could only watch as his executioner approached, unable to move and escape his own death.

000

"..And so you see Sasuki, I have failed Zabuza-sama, the only person that has mattered to me in this world. Please..put me out of my misery."

She had listened to his life story and understood why he followed the Missing-nin and surprisingly, she was not against him. Having calmed down somewhat, she could process his request with a clear mind. Readying her kunai, she approached Haku who only smiled in thanks.

"If that is what you want.." She began to run forward as Haku readied himself.

_'I am sorry Zabuza-sama..'_

Before she could reach him, he felt a buildup of chakra and knew there was still a chance he could do something. Grabbing her wrist before she could finish it, Haku created an ice mirror and stepped into it.

"I'm sorry Sasuki..but my duty to my precious person.._isn't over yet._" He disappeared into the mirror and left her alone.

Remembering what had happened, she dropped her kunai and slowly made her way back over to Naruto. He was right where she left him, not moving. Maybe it was too much to hope for he would wake up after she left but it was something she had secretly hoped for.

And without her loved one with her, she wept. Tears fell onto his chest as she cried over him, unable to control her grief over her lost love. She cried his name over and over, trying in vain to wake him.

"NARUTO!"

000

Everyone's eyes widened as Kakashi impaled Haku with his attack, he had appeared so suddenly in front of Zabuza that it was impossible to stop. With his last living act, the boy grabbed hold of Kakashi's wrist in a death grip and refused to let go. Zabuza began to chuckle as it was now Kakashi's turn to struggle as his summoning had been released and he was free to move.

"That a boy Haku..serving me until the end!" He brought his sword down to kill Kakashi, but the Jonin was quicker.

Kakashi laid the dead boy down away from the fighting, silently whispering a prayer for him. A scream echoed across the bridge, it was Sasuki saying her brother's name. She sounded in pain, the desperation in her voice making Kakashi and everyone else look in that direction with apprehension.

"Shino, take Tazuna and make sure Sasuki and Naruto are alright!"

"Yes sensei!"

Shino ran off with Tazuna close behind, disappearing in the mist.

Kakashi gave Zabuza the death glare and both knew the battle was soon to end.

"Its time we end this.." Kakashi readied a kunai and Zabuza his sword.

"It's already over!" Zabuza said as he charged forward.

000

When Shino arrived, he found his two team-mates near where they had left them in the ice prison. Naruto was lying on the ground, bloody needles surrounding him. Sasuki was over him, crying with an unending amount of tears.

It was obvious to Shino what had happened.

_'I..didn't think that something like this could happen.'_ He was in disbelief.

Tazuna's heart went to the poor girl, not only losing a brother but a lover as well.

They were silent, if she noticed their presence she did not show it. It was only a little while more until the silence was broken in an unexpected way.

"Ugh..." A quiet moan escaped Naruto's lips, drowned out by Sasuki's crying.

It was then that the girl began to notice that her brother's chest was slightly moving, up and down.

"Hey..Sasuki..its kind of hard to breath with you on top of me ya know?" She stifled her sobs and looked at him, shock displayed in her tear stained face.

"Na..ru..to?" He smiled, that smile that always made her blush.

Without having to say anything, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. There was nothing short of that that could express her happiness and although Naruto was not expecting it, did his best to return her affection. Whether she realized it or not, he thought he remembered hearing her confession just as she heard his.

If their relationship hadn't already been made clear, this sealed the deal.

000

And we will stop it there, its about the same in the end as the usual Wave, and it felt right to end on this part. Next part we skip to when the squad returns home and we will have single chapter mini arc of my own creation to fill the gap between Wave and Chunin Exams. Hope you enjoyed the chapter as well as the story, consider it an early christmas present.

Remember to review after reading.

See ya!


	12. Uchiha in the Crosshairs

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 12

Uchiha in the Crosshairs

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.

What is up guys, time for another chapter of _Blonde Uchiha_! I'm sure you have all been waiting impatiently for this release as we enter a small filler arc of my own creation. It will finally reveal the true culprit behind the stalkings as well as how our victims, the Uchiha, handle them. This will take us right into the **Chunin Exam** arc with a time skip, followed by the **Search for Tsunade** and then finally **Sasuki Retrieval **arc.

Past that is where the real fun begins, Part II with NaruxSuki lemons and NaruxMiko romance taking off. But we have got a while before that comes so now all you can do is read, wait, and imagine.

Time for the chapter to start!

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

000

The wooden gate swung open and the two Uchiha genin entered. It was mid-afternoon and they had recently arrived home from Wave. Both were relieved to be sent home by Kakashi as he had to finish the mission report and their performance had clearly earned them a break. Saying their goodbyes to Shino, the two walked home hand in hand excited to see their mother.

A feeling of calm came over them for the first time since leaving Konoha. Even with the still barren streets of their compound, it gave them a comfort to be behind the walls again. With what danger they faced on their mission to Wave and the emotional baggage that came with it, this was a good point to be somewhere comfortable and rest.

"Do you think Kaa-san will be home Naruto-kun?"

The blonde turned to his sister as she asked, shrugging.

"Probably, unless she got summoned I think she is still off from her duties."

That made Sasuki smile and pull him forward as she began to walk faster.

"Let's hurry then and surprise her! We have been gone for a while, I'm sure she missed us."

Naruto just smiled and let her pull him forward, more happy about the fact she was still holding his hand. It made him feel warm inside for some reason and her smile made him want to run too. Soon they were laughing as they ran and chased one another to the inner gate that lead to their home. Bursting through, they quickly entered the home and took off their sandals.

Mikoto had heard their ruckus and quickly surmised her two genin had arrived. Having prepared lunch, she waited in their open living room for them to find her. It had been so long since she had last seen them or at least it felt like it to her. It was impossible for her to keep the smile off of her face as she listened to their feet run through the home as if everything was back to normal.

_'I will just ignore the stalker threat and let the ANBU handle them. It will only make them uncomfortable if I tell them.'_ Mikoto had decided not to tell her children to keep them from getting restless.

Naruto turned a corner and walked down the hallway a bit, peeking into the family room. It was then that his eyes were blessed to see Mikoto, sitting there with a smile on her face. He blushed, the woman was really like an older Sasuki although much more calm and understanding.

_'Miko-chan..you are really pretty.'_

"Naruto, did you fin-" Sasuki came around the same corner and found him staring at something, dumbstruck.

Walking up to him and peeking around she too found Mikoto in the same position although now she was looking at them. Connecting the dots, Sasuki had an annoyed blush as she realized just what Naruto was thinking. Mikoto of course was totally oblivious as she got up to welcome her children.

_'Damn..why does she have to be so mature and..'_ Sasuki stared at her mother's chest as she walked, noting the slight bounce. _'..bigger than me!'_

"Naruto, Sasuki. Welcome home!" She enveloped them in a hug not wanting to let go.

Naruto quickly returned it with equal fervor while Sasuki tried to struggle out of it. Suddenly her mood had fallen now that she knew her mother was still competition for Naruto. Releasing them only after a long pause, Mikoto motioned to the table filled with food for them to sit and eat.

"I've prepared a late lunch, let's eat together."

As the three began to dig in, many eyes watched with bated breath. The children had returned home and it was now their chance to make their move on the Uchihas.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage Office_

000

"And you say that Sasuki has awakened her sharingan then?"

"Yes, that is correct Hokage-sama."

Kakashi stood before Hiruzen within his office, detailing the final mission report. As Wave was a much more complicated and stressful mission for the genin, it was important to ensure they understood the full situation. If Sasuki had awakened her sharingan then it meant she would be seen as an even larger target, along with her mother.

No matter how important the Nine Tails jinchuuriki was, even with a pair of sharingan eyes no less, the Uchiha females were worth possibly even more. To have them and use as breeding stock, another nation would be willing to go to _any_ length to take them to create their own army of Uchiha. This is what Hiruzen worried the most about when it came to the clan as well as why he wanted to hear from Kakashi exactly the truth.

"And..did Naruto release any of the fox's energy during these battles? I understand you were facing a very powerful ninja from Kiri.."

Kakashi only shook his head and the old man could breathe a sigh of relief.

"Well that is a good sign to see him controlling himself. _Kushina-chan would be proud.._" He whispered the last part to himself with little reaction from Kakashi.

"Sir, if I may ask?"

Hiruzen looked back at Kakashi and motioned for him to continue. The silver haired Jounin did not mean to be direct but he wanted to be sure of something.

"Naruto and Sasuki..they have more of a relationship than brother and sister. Is this going to be alright with the elders?"

Hiruzen thought about what he said for a moment and chuckled. It was most definitely true that Homura and Koharu wouldn't necessarily be happy that the Nine Tails jinchuuriki was 'diluting the gene pool' of the Uchiha or something along those lines. At the same time though, it was impossible to argue against the girl's feelings and if she had chosen Naruto then that meant that they most definitely wouldn't have a problem with her being willing to produce heirs.

"I think the elders will get along with the idea after some time. They can only see Naruto as the Nine Tails for now but I think as he gets older, they will see he is more than capable to be her husband." Kakashi's eyes widened, they were getting married?

"I..wasn't aware their relationship had progressed so far. It hasn't been that long has it?"

Hiruzen grabbed his pipe and lit it with a bit of chakra.

"It has been six years since they met I believe, and many things have come to affect their relationship. Politics being the number one example. Don't worry Kakashi, those two will work it out together I'm sure."

He nodded as the Hokage began to smoke and tried to relax from his daily stress.

"Well then, I will take my leave."

Before he could do so though the Hokage held up a hand to wait.

"Before that Kakashi, I believe I should let you know about the Uchiha's current predicament. Mikoto already has enough headaches and I hope that you would try to be understanding."

Kakashi wasn't sure he understood and only listened as the Hokage explained to him what had happened to the Uchiha Matriarch and her children.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

000

"Ah, that was so good. I missed Miko-chan's cooking." Naruto sighed, holding his belly in delight.

Mikoto covered her mouth and chuckled a bit while Sasuki just rolled her eyes. She could cook that good if she tried, probably.

"I'm glad you liked it Naru-kun. I have missed having you two at home so I'm really happy to hear you haven't forgotten my cooking."

Naruto sat up from the floor with vehement disagreement.

"How could I ever forgot your cooking Kaa-chan? It is the best out there..you don't know how many times I wanted to come home just to sit at a meal with you."

Mikoto blushed a bit and made a cute 'woo' sound as if her son was trying to flirt.

"I had no idea I was so popular with a boy."

Naruto just blushed and made Mikoto laugh even more. Sasuki had heard enough and got up from her seat, straightening her skirt out.

"I'll be outside training if you need me."

Naruto and Mikoto watched her leave, obviously confused. What made her get up with such a sour attitude? Mikoto looked at Naruto and then toward where Sasuki left and then realized what had happened, covering her mouth to keep from laughing.

_'Sasuki-chan..are you jealous? Oh dear..'_

Not long after, Mikoto began picking up their dishes and said Naruto was free for the rest of the night. While he wanted to go outside to see Sasuki and maybe train, it was most definitely not worth dying over. He could hear the abused wood getting hit from inside and did not want to be included. That was when he decided to head up to his room and look through his scrolls for any more ideas.

Kyuubi watched from within his cage waiting with little patience for the boy to continue his training. For him to become a container worthy of Kyuubi, it would take a lot more than what he was currently. He would not accept Naruto until he had successfully proven himself; how he would do that was still something the fox was working on.

Not only was Kyuubi annoyed with Naruto though, but there was something gnawing on his conscience since they arrived at the Uchiha compound. It was the feeling that generally he wouldn't mind at all but had gotten used to being without it since being sealed in Naruto. The feeling of being watched was unnerving to a human but was a mere annoyance to a bijuu like himself.

That said, it was clear that whoever was watching was not friendly. It was impossible to count their number from within the boy but he knew there was more than one. He wouldn't bother telling Naruto though as he would just cause a stir.

_**'Better for him to read through his scrolls than worry about what is probably nothing. Humans watching other humans..I will never understand their preferences.'**_

Naruto entered his room and quickly got out his scroll that contained information on his bloodline that he still knew so little about. The more he read it seemed less of a kekkei genkai though and more of just a natural affinity for using Suiton techniques from being an Uzumaki. Regardless though, the abilities and jutsu listed that he should one day be able to use made him think on par to the Second Hokage, which was saying something.

_The first technique to mastering Suiton techniques and the control behind them is to work on creating water from the vapors in air. While this is a widely known training point for any Suiton user seeking to master their affinity, it is merely a stepping stone for Uzumaki. When one with our blood trait uses a Suiton technique, their reflexes increase and their bodies become as fluid as water._

_While difficult to describe, when comparing a normal water user to an Uzumaki, they look clunky as they use and direct their attacks. The Uzumaki on the other hand seems to move with his attack, easily changing the water's direction, power, and flow with just a twitch of the hand. His speed is unparalleled and his vision allows him to see and predict the water's path, guiding it as if one would a child._

_Among one of our most advanced techniques is the ability to actually diffuse into the water vapor and totally reappear in another place, possibly miles away. As long as there is some form of liquid, our bodies can move and reappear there in safety._

Naruto was amazed at the skill, even somewhat discouraged. Could it really be so easy for someone even if they were an Uzumaki?

_'I guess I won't know until I try..'_

Naruto brought his hands up in the ram hand sign to focus as he sat on his bed. He closed his eyes and began to focus on the water in the air, trying to differentiate it from the oxygen. Breathing slowed, he continued to focus on the difficult idea of actually separating water and then combining the particles together.

Kyuubi watched with slight interest until the boy's actions actually had some visible progress. Small goblets of water began to form in the room, floating in air. It started with just a few but slowly came to be dozens of the droplets that swirled and levitated as Naruto kept his concentration. They slowly began to combine to form one large ball of water, about the size of his fists.

Naruto slowly released the ram hand sign and, while trying his best to keep concentration, slowly brought up one hand with his palm facing outward. Suddenly, the ball burst and a stream of water shot forward toward where his hand faced, blasting right out his window. The blonde quickly opened his eyes and realized that as he imagined the attack, it was formed with his chakra inside the water!

"It worked.." He couldn't believe it himself.

Kyuubi just huffed, so the kid got lucky. He was about to tell him not to get his hopes up when they heard a scream downstairs.

It was Mikoto.

Naruto leaped from his bed and rushed out the door, sliding down the smooth wooden railing of the stairs. What was wrong? It must have been bad if Mikoto was distressed enough to scream. Whatever it was, he wouldn't let it hurt her so he had to hurry.

He slid down the hallway toward the kitchen where he heard it first. As he was running, he was passing the front door on his left when it burst open. Stopping to face the threat, Naruto saw two figures in odd outfits he had not seen before and took him a moment to identify.

The two men approached cautiously, the sun was setting and cast dark shadows at their back making it hard to identify their faces. As they approached with readied kunai, Naruto activated his sharingan and took out his own kunai.

"Who are you!"

Neither answered as they charged forward, intent on grabbing him. Naruto cursed and ducked under one's attack, kicking him in the stomach and forcing him back. The other one got behind him and tried to grapple Naruto's arms behind his back.

To counter, he launched into the air and over the enemy's head, shaking his grip off and letting Naruto stab him in the back. He screamed in pain as his partner came at Naruto again, forcing him to roll to the side. Naruto ran forward and pushed the large man back, laying punch after punch at his face and chest.

This made the man stagger and unable to respond as his partner grabbed the bloody kunai and pulled it out of himself. Naruto back flipped to stand next to him and dodged a wobbly punch. Crouching, the blonde swept the legs out from under the unknown shinobi and forced him onto his back. Getting on top of him, Naruto laid one good shot to his cheek and knocked him out cold.

Hearing a roar to his right, Naruto jumped away as his partner came steamrolling forward and almost tripped over the both of them. Now that Naruto was in the doorway, the dying sun bled through the opening and gave enough light to see their uniforms clearly.

Naruto's eyes widened, what were _they _doing here?

"You.."

He didn't have time to talk as the large man came running forward in one last attempt to subdue the male Uchiha.

000

Mikoto dodged another lunge and kicked the perpetrator in the face, throwing him into a counter and knocking him cold. She was surrounded by three more, all large men that made no attempt to hide their village allegiance. So these were the culprits of stalking her the past few weeks and they were finally making a move.

"Kumo spies..how dare you attack the Uchiha in their own village?"

Their supposed leader, a man with dark brown hair and a thick beard, just laughed as they cornered her in the kitchen.

"Our leaders were made aware that some Uchiha remained after the Massacre, apparently they were women. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up to obtain a famous bloodline from Konoha."

Mikoto growled, their boldness was astounding to attack them in their own village. She was in her domestic clothes, dress and apron. It was hard to maneuver and dodge their attacks but luckily they wanted to capture her so they could not use any jutsu. With one quick rip, Mikoto allowed her legs better mobility and unintentionally showed off her pale skin.

The attack also didn't account for the lack of ANBU support, where were they? Perhaps they ran into trouble too..or maybe their loyalties lied elsewhere.

Mikoto made to untie her apron as two of the men came at her from either side. She untied it and quickly wrapped it around one's arm as he threw a punch. With leverage, she pulled him forward and sidestepped, slamming his body into the counter. Behind her the other one attempted to grab her shoulder but she twisted around kicked him back, hard.

The leader watched as his man went flying into the refrigerator, knocked unconscious from the blow. His fist began to glow from lightning as Mikoto took the one wrapped in the apron and slammed his head into the counter top. As the limp body fell from her hands she turned to face the leader only to feel her entire body in immense pain, making her scream.

The Kumo Chunin watched as she fell to her knees and released her from his grip, letting the electricity finish the job of knocking her unconscious. He expected the matriarch to be tough to take down, but it wasn't so difficult after all. It seemed the Konoha shinobi hadn't bothered studying their books since the last war to know how to counter Raiton attacks.

"Well..guess that is two down." He reached down to grab her as he heard something behind him.

Too late, hands wrapped around his neck and face. He couldn't even scream before they pulled and subsequently broke his neck. Mikoto's rescuer quickly ran and knelt by her side, bringing her face up to look at him.

"Kaa-san, are you ok? Kaa-san!" Naruto lightly tapped her face to get her to wake up as she was very drowsy but not completely out.

"N..naruto?" Her hand weakly grabbed his and he held her body tightly, protective.

"I'm right here Miko-chan."

He watched as she flinched in pain and held her stomach, making him realize she was hurt. Carefully, he lifted her blouse with his free hand while the other held her head up. Her pale white skin was red all around her stomach and every once in a while she would twitch.

Kyuubi growled, he knew a Raiton technique when he saw one.

"_**Naruto, these are Kumo shinobi. They mainly use Raiton techniques and it looks like the one you just killed tried to knock her unconscious with one, she should be fine after some rest."**_

Naruto felt disappointed in himself to see her in this weak position. He should have done something to stop it from happening in the first place.

"Naruto.."

He looked down at his mother, seeing her reach for his face. Quickly he obliged, leaning down so she could caress his cheek and whisper in his ear.

"Go..go save Sasuki! She is..in trouble." Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered his sister was outside whenever the attack must have started.

They would have gotten to her first.

"But Kaa-san I-" He wanted to argue that he couldn't leave her alone and she looked ready to tell him off when a shout echoed the house.

"NARUTO! SASUKI!"

They turned to look in the doorway to see none other than Kakashi, his teacher. The Jounin's eyes widened and he quickly rushed over to join them on the floor. Two of the ANBU quickly ran in after him to assess the situation with the Kumo intruders.

"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded.

The silver haired man looked at his student and at his mother, worry creasing his brow. He had been on his way over to see if there was something he could do to help Mikoto's plight when he heard sounds of fighting. Entering the compound, he saw that the Black Ops team assigned to protect Mikoto had come under attack by Kumo shinobi of all people.

They worked together to finish the interlopers off and had come directly to the house to find Naruto's handiwork. Two Kumo men were down and quickly they followed the path of destruction to the kitchen. There had been, unfortunately, no sign of Sasuki since the attack started.

"Kakashi-sensei." He looked at Naruto as he gently laid his mother down, now unconscious. "Please look after my mother, I need to go find Sasuki."

Kakashi's eyes widened, he wanted to do _what_? As he was getting up, the Jounin stood up and grabbed Naruto's wrist, easily holding the boy as the ANBU went to assist his mother.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't let you do that. It's too dangerous." Naruto looked down at the ground, shielding his face from Kakashi in what the older man could only think was anger.

He felt for the blonde as he knew what Sasuki meant to him, but they couldn't risk two genin. Especially their own Nine Tails jinchuuriki, it just made him an opportune target for them to grab him too.

"You aren't going to stop me Kakashi.." He watched as Naruto inclined his head to look up at him and flinched at what he saw; sharingan eyes with a slit pupil.

The Kyuubi's influence was taking over Naruto's ability to think straight. Before Kakashi could detain him, Naruto quickly pulled his wrist free with strength Kakashi could never expect from him and felt himself get punched in the gut hard. As he instinctively fell to his knees and tried to catch his breath, the blonde disappeared in a blur.

"Damn.." Kakashi grunted as he stumbled to get up.

More ANBU arrived as the first two began to carry Mikoto out for the hospital. The rest came in and quickly noticed Kakashi's pained look, coming over to assist him.

"Sir! Are you alright?"

Kakashi waved them off as they had bigger concerns.

"Listen up, take your squad and start searching for Naruto and Sasuki. He took off after the spies that escaped with her." The ANBU exchanged glances with one another, not believing it.

"Why would he do that? Doesn't he know how dangerous the situation is?"

Kakashi wanted to agree but the pain from that punch clearly meant that he didn't much care about the danger.

"It doesn't matter, just get going!"

They were startled for a moment by his raised voice but the leader quickly gave a hasty salute.

"Yes sir!"

With that the four of them left and headed off to scour the grounds for clues. Kakashi wanted to go after Naruto himself, but it was important that someone head to the Hokage and report the situation. For some reason, the particular details made him feel a kind of deja vu from a story he had heard once from his sensei.

_'No time for that.'_

Kakashi made his way out of the house and set off for the Hokage Mansion. Time was of the essence and they couldn't afford to waste it. They needed every able bodied shinobi of the village out searching for the Uchihas.

000

_Konohagakure_

_North Gate_

000

Naruto landed with little grace as he chased after the Kumo spies that were able to escape. Kyuubi was actually helping him by sensing the most suspect chakra presences he could feel. He had led the blonde to the northern gate of the village and already he could tell it was the right way.

Two gate guards had been knocked unconscious where they stood meaning they had come this way. The streets were oddly deserted, even for early evening. The infiltrators were trying their best to keep their presence known a minimum so as not to alert the main shinobi population.

It meant Naruto wasn't going to get much help any time soon.

"_**Come on Naruto, if you don't hurry you will lose them."**_ Kyuubi's condescending voice berated him to move and so he quickly ran forward and out of the village.

It would be the first time he ever left without anyone else but there was no time to be nervous. Sasuki was being led away to the border and he couldn't slow if he wanted to reach them in time. Bursting into the forest, Naruto ran up the nearest tree and began to leap from branch to branch in hopes of finding any evidence of which way they went.

At first there was little sign of any disturbance which made Naruto lose hope. Kyuubi would give him the occasional direction but it almost felt as if he was going in circles. He began to get even more angry and frustrated at the situation, clouding his judgment.

_'Why..why would these guys from Kumo come to Konoha? Why are the Uchiha so important?'_

Kyuubi growled, he knew well what it was like to be hunted by humans.

"_**Listen you idiot, for some reason you still haven't realized just how important kekkei genkai are to ninja villages. To have something like the sharingan would make your village feared, not to mention whatever experiments someone might want to run on someone with a bloodline. You humans are too inquisitive for your own good sometimes..."**_

Naruto could only think of Sasuki in harms way and pushed himself to move faster. That he would not allow to happen, even if he had to chase them through Kumo and back. He was about to jump again when he looked down and saw traces in the dirt. Dropping down to get a closer look, Naruto realized they were a few sets of footprints and noticed that nearby trees were disturbed, along with broken branches and twigs on the ground.

The tracks lead in a certain direction and Naruto knew he was on the right track. He ran forward on the forest floor, hoping to find them in time.

"Hang on Sasuki.."

000

_Land of Fire_

_Forest_

000

"Get your hands off me!"

Sasuki rammed into one Kumo ninja that got too close, pushing him into a tree. With her hands bound behind her back it made it difficult to fight but that was not stopping her. The three remaining Kumo ninjas had been dealing with her resistance since they left the village and they were getting tired of it.

They were able to grab her after she had tired herself from training. When she was going in to take a break they charged and were able to hold her down long enough to knock her temporarily unconscious. Since she woke up and was forced to march though, she had been less than cooperative.

"Sir, can't we just knock her out again?"

The apparent leader, a blonde shinobi with a sword on his back, just sighed in frustration.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to that.."

Sasuki saw him in her sights and charged, despite her position. The blonde just watched lazily as she approached and waited for her attack. She leaped into the air and pelted him with kicks to which he simply deflected until one time he grabbed her ankle and threw her down to the ground.

As she struggled to get up, he knelt down with one hand in a seal and the other on her shoulder. With a pulse of chakra he sent electric currents coursing through her body, making her scream in agony. The two others came over and watched with a reserved reaction; they didn't like to hurt a kid, however, they knew what their mission was and how important it could be to the village.

They couldn't have any delays in reaching Kumo and so they had to make sure the cargo didn't bother them.

"Pick her up and lets go.."

One bent down and quickly threw her over his shoulder, allowing them to continue. As they were about to head out though, the Jounin hesitated when he felt something.

His eyes widened.

_'This chakra..'_

"Ugh!"

He turned around to see the man carrying Sasuki get punched in the stomach and get sent flying back. A blur grabbed the girl from mid-air and disappeared. Their eyes widened at the strength of the punch as their team-mate slammed into a tree trunk and made a crater in it. Upon a quick inspection, it was clear that he was dead.

They quickly got back to back and got out their weapons. The Jounin was the most unnerved though as he recognized the chakra.

"What is this sir? That attack killed Kido in one hit!" His subordinate was panicking, eyes flicking back and forth.

"This chakra..is that of a tailed beast."

His partner was frozen in his spot when he heard that. A _tailed beast_ was involved?

"How..how the hell does Konoha have such a demon helping them?"

There was no time to contemplate as they saw something run through the forest. It was bright orange and kicked up dirt as it launched itself around the forest floor, encircling them like prey. Like a beast it ran on all fours and had a demonic howl that shook their very bones.

They held their weapons even tighter as it came at them in a charge. The Jounin quickly gathered lightning chakra as his subordinate went through hand signs for a jutsu. The one tailed beast suddenly launched an arm made of the orange chakra and grabbed him before he could complete his attack. It threw him up into the air and then swatted him back down to the ground.

Miraculously, the Kumo Chunin somehow survived and began to crawl away when the beast approached from behind and impaled his chest with its claws. He coughed up blood as his eyes rolled back into his head, his whole body going limp.

Naruto sensed an attack to his side and watched as a sword came in for a slice but easily dodged by jumping away. In a mad dash, the Jounin charged forward and sliced away as the beast kept out of reach, dodging attacks as if he was but a child swinging. The fighting took a break when Naruto leaped up onto a branch that overlooked the clearing they had made a mess of.

"_**Naruto..I know you are angry, but it will be profitable to leave one alive. Let him go back to his leaders empty handed and tell his story, they will fear the Uchiha. They will fear YOU!"**_

Naruto was breathing heavily as the toxic chakra flowed through his veins, his anger only bidding it to continue. This man had _touched _his Sasuki, and he would not be allowed to get away with it. As he looked down at his opponent, he could feel the fear ooze out of the man's pores. It gave him an odd rush of satisfaction but still he wanted more blood.

_'He touched her, he **hurt **my Sasuki! I'll kill him..' _

Kyuubi listened as Naruto spoke to him in obvious anger, his voice deepened as the chakra took its effect. For him to pull this off it would take all of Kyuubi's charisma, which was admittedly not much at all.

"_**No one said you couldn't hurt him badly..hell I don't care if he dies on Kumo's doorstep. All we need is some proof of what you did here, how you slaughtered them for even thinking of touching YOUR Uchiha females."**_

Kyuubi growled with satisfaction as he felt Naruto calm at his words, even for a bit. It seemed the idea of those two girls as _his_ was appealing to his mind, subconsciously or no.

_'Alright..I'm sure they won't mind a missing limb or two.'_

The Jounin was preparing to retreat when Naruto launched from the branch like a bullet. He was just barely able to sidestep when he sensed a presence behind. Twisting his body, he saw that there were now two of the monsters, one in front and one behind. The one in back outstretched its claws as the other did the same, ready to pounce.

A scream echoed through the forest.

000

"_Mmmm.._"

She stirred, the effects of the enemy jutsu waning as her body regained consciousness. A breeze flew through her hair and tickled her bare skin. She felt hands holding her, one beneath her back and the other underneath her legs.

"Sasuki..are you awake?"

Her eyes opened to see the sky, just barely visible as the sun had almost completely set. It dyed the sky a deep purple, even darker where there were clouds. One stood out there with jagged edges and a.._yellow _color? She realized then who was holding her and looked into his eyes.

Naruto was balancing himself on the top of a tree, watching as the sun set. He was holding Sasuki in a princess carry and had been patiently waiting for her to wake up since he finished up with the Kumo spies. It had been almost an hour but she had finally awakened with enough worry from her brother.

"Naruto..? But, why are you here?"

He just smiled as he looked down at her, making her blush.

"I rescued you of course."

Realization came over her face and she looked all around for any sign of the enemies. As she was about to make him lose his balance with her movement, he tried to calm her down.

"I already took care of them Sasuki..they won't bother us anymore."

The girl then let go a sigh of relief upon hearing that. It wasn't long before she was again worrying, this time about their mother.

"What about Kaa-san?"

Naruto just nodded.

"I protected her from them and let the ANBU take her to the hospital. She is probably already home, waiting for us."

Sasuki sighed and just placed her arms around his neck as they remained motionless, just smiling at one another. Blushing, Sasuki hesitantly asked something she had been wondering for a while now.

"So..how did you find me?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment before getting a big smile.

"I heard your yelling a mile away."

Sasuki's mood turned sour and she quickly hit him over the head, almost making him fall off.

"Baka!"

"I didn't mean it lik-"

Her lips quieted him as they kissed, just a peck. Naruto saw that she was still blushing and wasn't angry at all, making him feel relieved.

"Thank you Naruto.."

He smiled.

"Any time."

000

_A Few Days Later_

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage Mansion_

000

"Are you sure Mikoto-san?"

"Yes Hokage, I wish to return to active duty."

Mikoto had entered Hiruzen's office a few days after recovering from her family's attack by the Kumo infiltrators. The fact the attack had happened at all was an outrage to the council as well as the shinobi that were involved in the rescue operations. He had expected the Uchiha to be harsh with him, but instead she seemed rather resolute in returning to her position as a Jounin.

It was to their relief that all three Uchiha survived the kidnapping attempt, however, it by no means meant that it was the last one. The Uchiha matriarch was tired of sitting around at home and she knew that the best way to protect her children was to return to active duty. They were old enough that they did not need her around the house at all times and all the clan's paperwork had long been resolved.

While the council would argue it would be better to keep her out of harm's way, the recent attempt to kidnap her clearly showed that living at home was no better. The Hokage was torn on how to proceed, but he knew Mikoto was a strong shinobi and deserving of her rank. Even without her husband she stood quite strong in the face of the many obstacles thrown at her family and he knew the village could count on her.

With the upcoming Chunin Exams, he knew he needed all the shinobi he could get.

"Very well, I will make sure it happens. Keep in mind though that you will most likely be restricted to patrolling the interior of the village and indirect support with the exams. The council is not that optimistic about this situation."

Mikoto bowed in understanding and knew that she would be too important to be let allowed to leave the village. It wasn't exactly something she would have looked forward to anyway.

"Hokage-sama, has there been any word from Kumogakure."

Hiruzen sighed and shook his head.

"They still deny involvement of course, just as they did back with Kushina's kidnapping. Since their shinobi had time-delayed fuinjutsu should they die or be incapacitated for too long, their bodies have disintegrated leaving us with no physical evidence other than their uniforms and personal effects."

She tightened her fists at how hard it was to find justice in the shinobi world. How conceited could the people of Kumo be?

"We will do what we can to ensure justice is served, no matter how small that reward may be or how long it will take. Please have patience Mikoto.."

The woman merely bowed again and turned to leave.

_'I will have my justice one way or another Hokage..no one touches my children and gets away with it.'_

She cast the thoughts away and tried to put a smile on her face as she traveled home. Those two were waiting for her to cook a nice lunch, not to mention she needed to speak with them about the upcoming exams and her reinstatement.

If things had not already been complicated for the family of three, it was about to get even worse.

000

And that is another chapter done. To be honest I'm surprised very few if any guessed it was an outside village that was involved in the stocking, most thinking it was ROOT or some rapist. I believe that, given these circumstances of the Uchiha clan, a country known for its extensive military expansion like Lightning would try and kidnap the Uchihas for breeding.

You may not agree but its only my interpretation. The purpose of the arc was 1.) Act as a filler of time between Wave and Chunin Exams 2.) Touch on how valuable the Uchiha bloodline is to other nations and how far they will be willing to go to get Sasuki and Mikoto and 3.) To explain why Mikoto returns to active duty and is seen in a more active, fighting role from this point on instead of being the stay at home mom type.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter as well as got the historical reference of previous Naruto events.

Leave a review in anticipation of the next chapter as well as be prepared for an update to my Assassin story where the Second Exam is about to get intense between Sakura and the Sound ninja.

Review!

Happy New Years!


	13. An Uchiha's Reputation

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 13

An Uchiha's Reputation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now genin while Mikoto has returned to active duty as a Leaf Jounin.

What is up guys, time for another chapter of _Blonde Uchiha_! This chapter will finally kick off the **Chunin Exam** arc where Naruto and his squad display their abilities in hopes of being promoted to Chunin. Do they have what it takes? Will their team chemistry be enough to beat the other squads? What kind of dangers will they face and how will the Uchiha handle them?

Read on to find out.

I'd also like to address some concerns people have been talking about in the reviews. One of which is Mikoto's age in comparison to her children; in this story Mikoto is about 15 years of age when she had Itachi. A bit young yes but as detailed in the first chapter she was married to Fugaku at a young age and producing heirs "When they should have been dating and having fun.".

Also for concerns toward Naruto's _eventual _pairing with Mikoto, the pairing was clearly outlined so don't review and call it disgusting; just stop reading if it bothers you. It isn't like they are getting together immediately, the feelings will slowly develop and flourish in Part II and they won't be for selfish or unfounded reasons.

Time for the chapter to start!

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

000

Naruto and Sasuki walked into the family room and sat down at the table. It was late morning and the sun shone brightly through the open door out to the garden allowing a gentle breeze to find its way inside. Their mother had invited them down to have a talk about the upcoming exams they would be taking. Kakashi had yet to say anything about them so they were relieved to find their mother knew what was going on.

"What do you think Kaa-san wants to talk about? She seemed a bit serious.." Sasuki asked as they waited for their mother; Naruto shrugged.

"I'm sure she is just concerned about us, like when we became genin. I don't think the exams are the only thing she wants to talk about either."

Whatever she wanted to talk about they hoped their mother was alright. It had been a week since the attack and they had all recovered nicely if not a bit quickly. Naruto had seen his mother look very sad at times though, when she thought she was alone. Sasuki had Naruto and he had her, but their mother was alone in having someone to confide with.

It worried him but in his position, there was little he could do.

_'I hate being helpless like this for Miko-chan..if only I was older.'_

Naruto thought the reason his mother was sad was that she had no one her age to talk to. If that was what the problem was, Naruto only wished the time would fly so he could comfort her.

Their heads turned as Mikoto entered the room somewhat surprising them with her attire. She wore her shinobi uniform, a black short sleeve shirt underneath the green Konoha flak vest. Her pants were a normal navy blue that were cut short before reaching her sandals. Before their minds could wander why she was wearing the outfit, Mikoto sat down across the table from them and began to speak.

"Naruto, Sasuki. The reason I called you two down was to talk about some of the things that are going to be changing in the village. I know your sensei hasn't told you much so I will give you some hints." Her voice was gentle but stern, throwing the two off a bit from her usual tone.

They stayed quiet as she continued.

"The Chunin Exam is exactly as you studied, it is held twice a year to determine who among the genin are worthy to attain the rank. You will receive invitations and go as a squad, that includes Shino-kun."

Sasuki rolled her eyes at their team-mate's mention and Naruto just nodded, it made sense that the exam was based on teamwork rather than the individual. Mikoto's eyes landed on Sasuki and made her sarcasm falter under her serious gaze, allowing the woman to continue.

"There are three parts to the exam." She held up three fingers to better demonstrate. "While each year it is slightly different content, there is usually a written portion, a survival portion, and finally a dueling test."

Naruto scratched his head in thought.

"Dueling..you mean one on one fighting?" Mikoto nodded.

"Yes, you will be paired up randomly with another genin and fight them to see who moves on to the next fight. It is designed to show of your fighting ability as well as how you use environment and tactics to your advantage. The Third Exam is held in the arena and there will be many spectators so be sure to do your best."

The two kids exchanged glances, they would have an audience for their fights?

"Your sensei and I won't be able to see you during these tests so you have to rely on each other. You know to do that right?"

Sasuki just blushed and looked away; Naruto actually kept a straight face and nodded in understanding. He wouldn't let anything stop them from succeeding. It was what he had been training so hard for up to that point, to fail was unacceptable.

For Sasuki it was the same feeling but she would never admit it to Naruto or her mother.

Mikoto inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as she knew that they would do alright. There had been moments of doubt throughout their time growing up as ninja that she wondered if they would be alright. It seemed, at least for Naruto that he had found something to focus himself on, a goal or promise to keep. Something like that would make him strong, she only hoped Sasuki could find something similar.

_'I hope she has given up on her brother Itachi..otherwise it might only bring her more heartbreak.'_

"From what I hear the Chunin Exams will start soon, if not today then tomorrow. Your sensei should give you your invitations today when you meet. Even though you are encouraged, if you don't feel ready to participate you don't have to."

Naruto and Sasuki just smiled, they knew their decision.

"This is the perfect chance to show what we've learned. There is no way I can turn down a chance like this!" He shouted with excitement.

Sasuki smirked and took on a haughty tone fitting of an Uchiha heir.

"Someone has to show the rabble who the real shinobi of Konoha are.."

The family shared a laugh at that and the tense mood that started the conversation eased up.

"So Kaa-san..why are you wearing those clothes?" Naruto asked after they settled down.

Mikoto tried to smile and put them to ease but found it difficult to pull off. She never thought it would come to the point where she found herself nervous to return to active duty. Just looking at her children though, she knew that it was not an easy decision to make.

"I'm returning to active duty Naruto." Surprise settled in quickly. "I've been sitting here in the compound for too long, as a Jounin I should be taking a more active role in the village. The Hokage has already given me permission to do so."

Naruto immediately stood up and came around to her side, surprising her.

"Isn't that dangerous Miko-chan..you could get hurt." His hand rested over hers in concern but she gave him a smile.

"Thank you Naruto, but I will be fine. I'm only allowed to patrol the village and attend the final part of the exams in the arena, so I won't be in any danger."

Naruto didn't seem convinced as her eyes followed his gaze to her stomach; it was where she was wounded by the Kumo shinobi. She frowned, it seemed he had still not forgiven himself for her getting hurt even if there was nothing he could do.

_'Such a silly boy..'_ She thought as she brought an arm around his head and brought him close to her chest.

"If you are that concerned about me, become a Chunin so we can be together." He looked up from her bosom and realized she wasn't joking.

"You mean that Kaa-chan?" Her fingers sifted through his hair in a comforting manner, nodding as she did so.

"Of course, train and become even stronger so you can protect me. In the mean time, let me protect you and Sasuki."

"That's right, don't forget about me!"

Sasuki came over to Mikoto's other side and looped her mother's other arm over her shoulders.

"I'm not about to lose to Naruto or you Kaa-san. I'll prove how strong I am in this exam to remind everyone who the Uchiha really are!"

Mikoto smiled as they shared a hug, she truly couldn't ask for better children. With such strong determination she had no doubt they would succeed in what they wanted to do. She was also glad to persuade Naruto against trying to stop her as she knew the last thing he needed was to worry about her during the exam.

"Okay you two, enough of this kind of talk before your exams. You should probably go meet with Kakashi soon before you lose all that energy. Make sure you have all the possessions you think you'll need before leaving."

Naruto and Sasuki got up to prepare but were stopped as Mikoto mentioned one last thing.

"I'll be watching in the Arena, remember that when you fight."

Naruto didn't turn around but smiled as he left for his room. He would make Mikoto proud no matter what it took.

Sasuki left with her own thoughts swirling in her head, her mood dropped as she departed.

_'I'll prove I can surpass Naruto and Kaa-san..then I will know I'm close to beating **him**.'_

000

"Kaa-san, I'm heading out."

"Be careful Shino, keep your eyes on your team-mates and surroundings at all times. Rely on the kikaichu.."

"I understand, I won't fail."

Shino had just finished preparing for the assembly today after being warned by his mother the Chunin Exams would start today. He found it odd that Kakashi had chosen to finally fill them in on the day of the finals, either he had confidence they would agree to take the invitations or someone wanted to pressure their squad.

From what he could tell, the other genin had already received their invitations so now it was finally their turn. Shino waved goodbye to his mother before heading out to their usual meeting place near the training grounds. He hoped his Uchiha friends decided to show today so that they could head to the academy together.

He paused a moment in his step, did he call them friends freely? Had they gotten to that point? A hidden smile formed for a moment before he kept walking on.

_'Yes, I suppose that is fact.'_

000

_Konohagakure_

000

The three genin met one another on the red bridge that allowed one to cross the small stream that intersected the training area. No longer did the Uchiha lean to one side and the Aburame the other, the three students stood together as they waited for their teacher. At the very least they had united feelings on Kakashi's antics, especially the delay in alerting them about the exams.

Shino looked over Naruto and Sasuki to see the two seemed to act normal. He had heard from his father about what had happened a week ago and felt a pang of regret he couldn't have been help to them. The idea Kumogakure would launch an attempt to kidnap them was..unsettling. His father reassured him that something like it would not be allowed to happen again but it made Shino wonder how many attempts there had been in the past.

If they were at a risk in the village, what was to say their danger would only increase if they left the walls? Shino knew that in that case he would do anything in his power to stop an attacker. Even through hardships, he considered these two his friends and wouldn't allow something like that to happen.

"You alright Shino? Is there something wrong?" Naruto had picked up on his glance even hidden behind his shades, bringing Sasuki's attention as well.

"Your bugs chatting too loud in your head?"

Shino just shrugged and they knew it as the universal sign that he was not going to answer that. The Uchiha returned to talking to one another, mostly prepping themselves for the upcoming exam. It wasn't too long after the conversation took off that Kakashi chose that moment to appear above them on a nearby arch.

The iconic puff of smoke made them turn their heads as he gave them a wave.

"Yo."

"You're late." Sasuki said in an annoyed tone, arms crossed.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, no shouting or threats? This was a change of pace for the Uchiha girl who often chose using her mouth or force to show her point. Perhaps Naruto's influence had even affected that.

"Sorry, got lost on the road of..well you know by now."

They gave a collective sigh and he quickly leaped down and approached their group. Out of his pocket he quickly produced three invitation cards with their names printed on the front. With these they would be allowed through to the first exam and participate, as long as they all attended with one another.

It was Kakashi's wish to give them the cards sooner to allow them time to think, however, last week's event hampered his plans considerably. Not only that but he was advised to hold off giving the cards to them by a few fellow Jounin in hope they wouldn't have time to do anything but accept. While it was a cheap trick many believed the Uchiha would not want to attend the exam and some wanted to force them to do so.

Either way, it was only now they would receive the invitation on the day of the exam. However, Kakashi knew that the three would want to go through with it even if handed their invitations at the door. There was no way the proud Uchiha and unchallenged Aburame could not attend.

"These are your invitations to take the Chunin Exams, they will allow you entrance to the first exam classroom." He explained as they looked over the cards with curiosity.

"The proctors will give you detailed instructions before you begin so you shouldn't worry about being confused."

Naruto placed the card safely within his black pair of shorts. It was finally time for him to show what he could do. Kyuubi's support and advice had kept him focused and training for something like this and he knew it was the place to go all out.

Sasuki smiled as she looked over her ticket, the implications of just a small piece of paper were not lost on her. With it she could meet other strong shinobi and defeat them, spreading the name of the Uchiha as well as growing stronger with each win. Each win would lead her one step closer to avenging her father and clan from the injustice done to them.

For Shino it was a test to see not only how far he had come since the academy, but to see if he could truly belong on a team. If he could prove that then it meant he was on his way to becoming a great Aburame, just like his father.

Kakashi knew the stakes for each of them were high and he was putting his bet on their win. He figured even through the hardships the exam presented, if the team could survive his initiation they could survive becoming Chunin.

"Go get 'em."

They watched as Kakashi disappeared as quickly as he came, leaving them all in a good mood with his rare encouragement. It was then they were left to their own devices as long as they arrived at the academy in time. A quick check revealed they had about an hour before the first exam started so they decided to take a stroll through town to relax their nerves.

With the Chunin Exams beginning already they could see foreign ninja finding their own way through the city. Civilians were bustling about but kept to themselves more than usual as if a bit suspicious to the unfamiliar shinobi. It was interesting for the genin to look at the other village equivalents of themselves, their different styles of dress to their height and age.

To another squad they might be intimidating but to Team Seven they were nothing.

It wasn't long into their walk that they found themselves walking through side streets to find their way. It seemed their habits of getting to school their own way took over their bodies while they weren't paying attention. The sound of running feet made them turn to see three small kids, apparently academy students, running toward them.

While they weren't recognizable to the older kids, the three little ones were able to recognize the crest of the Uchiha on Naruto and Sasuki's back. Their eyes widened and they came to a stop a few feet away making the genin take interest.

"What?" Naruto called out to them as they seemed speechless.

Their leader quickly gathered up courage and swung his oversized scarf around his neck, making sure it was tight. Taking a few steps forward, the helmeted kid pointed a challenging finger at the blonde.

"You are the Uchiha aren't you? The really strong fighters with the red eyes, we read about you in class."

Naruto just looked at Sasuki, was this kid serious? She just sighed and started walking off, waving her hand goodbye.

"I'll go on ahead Naruto, you and bug boy can talk if you want."

Naruto just watched her leave, dumbstruck. He looked at his unfortunate partner in abandonment and he could have sworn Shino was frowning.

"I thought..she had moved past that nickname."

The Aburame visibly shrunk and lowered his head.

"Oi! I wasn't done talking to you!" The brown haired rascal ran past Naruto after the disappearing girl only to fall when Naruto stepped on his scarf.

"You won't catch her, just calm down kid."

The little boy loosened the noose around his neck and turned around to face Naruto. It only seemed he had earned the younger kid's ire from the glare he received.

"Kid? I am the grandson of the Third Hokage! My name is.."

"His name is.."

Naruto looked over his shoulder to see the other two joining in to apparently make it more dramatic, he rolled his eyes.

"My name is Konohamaru! Remember it Uchiha, you are now my rival."

Naruto just shook his head and let go of the scarf making the kid fall over in a heap. He patted Shino on the back and just ushered him along as the bug user still seemed a bit depressed.

"Don't worry about it Shino, you know how she is."

Being totally ignored, Konohamaru and his group waited for them to turn a corner and ran after in an attempt to ambush. When they got around they soon realized there were others walking right in front of them and Konohamaru slammed into their leg. Surprised, the person who was hit almost tripped over his own feet but managed to save himself.

"What the hell?"

Kankuro looked down to see Konohamaru rubbing his head in pain. He picked him up by the scruff of his neck and pushed him against the fence.

"Who do you think you are, running into me like that?"

Naruto and Shino had passed the Suna shinobi without incident but turned around when the fuss began. It seemed like a legitimate accident, but the robe wearer didn't seem too interested in that fact. His partner, a blonde girl with four ponytails, shifted her weight onto one leg and put a hand on her hip to show her impatience.

The last thing they needed was to get into a fight with a seven year old, especially a foreign one.

"Kankuro, let it go. We don't have time to mess around.."

The Suna nin tightened his grip on Konohamaru and he coughed in pain, struggling to free himself. Moegi and Udon shouted at him to let go but he wouldn't, his smirk growing bigger.

"I can't let him get away that easy, he needs to learn to be more _careful_. Ain't that right, runt?"

It was clear why Konohamaru didn't answer as he struggled to breathe.

"Oi."

Kankuro felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to see Naruto who was not amused by his fun.

"You heard your friend, let him go."

He smiled, some punk Leaf kid wanted to do something about it? Temari looked the blonde over and didn't see much of anything spectacular about him, kind of cute but not her type. It was then she saw the crest on his back and began to connect the dots.

_'That crest..isn't it the symbol of-'_

Kankuro chuckled.

"What are you going to do if I don't?"

Temari's eyes widened as Naruto grabbed Kankuro's free arm and twisted it behind his back. Letting go of the boy in a cry of pain, Kankuro's other free arm tried in vain to grasp at Naruto. The blonde quickly twisted him around and pushed him toward Temari. He stumbled a bit but quickly recovered, rubbing his wrist in obvious pain.

"You bastard, I'll make you regret that.."

He began to loosen the wrapped load on his back while Shino appeared next to Naruto, The Leaf ninja looked ready to fight if necessary.

Temari's arm came up in front of Kankuro to stop him.

"Stop it! That blonde, he is one of the Uchiha.." The puppet user looked at his sister in disbelief, him?

"What? That can't be true, the Uchiha are supposed to be dead..besides, they weren't blonde."

Naruto scoffed as he watched the two relax their guard somewhat, it seemed that was proof enough he was a fake.

"He has their crest though, I'm sure."

Kankuro just shrugged as he glared at the blonde.

"Probably just a coincidence, let's take care of him and leave. We don't want to be late.."

Temari slowly reached up for her fan as Kankuro began to sprout chakra strings from his fingers to control the hidden Crow. The blonde was just about to activate his sharingan to intimidate them when a pebble hit the blonde girl's hand and made her recoil. Rubbing the back of her hand in pain, their eyes shifted to a nearby tree where Sasuki sat looking quite annoyed at the whole situation.

"Why are you trying to pick a fight with the Uchiha?"

She disappeared and landed next to Naruto. They activated their sharingan together, immediately making the Suna shinobi back down from their aggressive stance.

"They really are.." Kankuro sputtered, not believing it.

"Uchiha." Temari mumbled, taking a step back.

"What are you two idiots doing?"

Their eyes looked up again to see a red head hanging upside down from a tree branch. His arms folded in a laid back fashion, the shinobi lazily glared at his team-mates as they shook in fear. Naruto looked back and forth and soon realized there was something off about the new arrival's aura, especially if his own team feared him.

"Gaara.."

Temari mumbled, not pleased to see her brother looking so angry. Kankuro held his hands up in defense trying to ease his brother's temper.

"We were just talking Gaara, nothing-"

"Shut up!"

Ice flowed through their veins upon hearing his tone, there was no emotion to be had. Sasuki hadn't even detected him arrive let alone what strength he was hiding. If his own team-mates feared him enough to try and talk their way out of trouble, it must have meant this guy was bad news.

"You are a disgrace to our village..Do you not remember your purpose?"

Kankuro and Temari recoiled under the pressure. They bowed their heads in defeat as the Leaf ninja watched, astounded.

"Sorry Gaara.."

The boy disappeared in a wisp of sand and reappeared next to the other two. Quietly he indicated they go as he began to walk off toward the academy. It was then that he stopped and turned to look at Naruto and Sasuki, their red eyes meeting his aquamarine.

Kyuubi gave a low growl as he recognized the chakra within.

_**'Shukaku..'**_

"My apologies for these two." Gaara looked over his shoulder and scowled. "Let's go."

The two quickly followed like submissive dogs.

"Yes Gaara."

_'Those red eyes..it must mean those two are special. I'll enjoy watching those eyes as they get swallowed by my sand.'_

They all watched in silence as the foreign shinobi left, only breathing a sigh of relief when they finally turned the corner and out of sight. Judging from their looks even they acknowledged their first run in with foreign shinobi proved the Chunin Exams would not be as simple as they first thought.

"We..had best get moving as well." Shino advised after they stood there for a while, unable to move.

"Yeah, let's go." Naruto began to lead them off in the same direction as the Suna shinobi for their exam.

Konohamaru watched them go with some apprehension. Would they have to go where those ninja were going? Could they beat them, or would they lose?

"Uchiha!"

Naruto and Sasuki turned around and looked at the little boy who had regained his confident tone.

"You have to beat those guys up to be my real rivals..I won't accept any less!"

Sasuki laughed a bit and turned around to start walking again, who did that kid think he was? Naruto turned to keep walking and waved his hand goodbye.

"We'll take care of them. No one is stronger than us.."

000

_Konohagakure_

_Academy_

000

With some time to spare even with their forced detour, squad Seven arrived at the academy for testing. A large congregation of higher ranked shinobi were outside cheering their children genin on as they entered. A few shady individuals also hung around outside as they kept tabs on those entering. Most likely they were gathering information while the rest of their squad was inside acting normal.

With no way to hide their crests nor reason to, the Uchiha confidently strode past the crowd and into the building. There was a noticeable calm as they passed and whispers began among the genin and older ninja present outside. It was as if the mere sight of the prestigious clan at the exams was surprising or at least noteworthy as they spoke.

Sasuki had gotten used to that since she was born as it came naturally to most Uchiha. Naruto still found it hard to believe sometimes the names whispered weren't just Sasuki or Mikoto, but his too. Going from an unloved street urchin to star genin was enough to make anyone humble.

"Just ignore them Naruto. People just like to talk too much." Sasuki noticed her brother's concern after entering the building and sought to comfort him.

Naruto just scratched his head and laughed, trying to ease the tension.

"Guess I'm still getting used to the fact people know me as an Uchiha."

Sasuki just smiled and grabbed his hand, holding it with hers.

"As they should, sooner or later you'll be the Uchiha Patriarch. The head of the family."

Naruto just looked at her and tried to swallow, finding his throat suddenly dry. The thought of that kind of title and responsibility was just too much for him at such a young age.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Sasuki, Mikoto-san is still the most fitting for the position. We are still too young to assume titles."

Sasuki just sent the shaded boy a glare while Naruto found truth in his words and calmed down. It was still a long way off for him and her to be in a position of power, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. These exams would increase their rank and put them one step closer to bringing the Uchiha back.

"Worry about yourself Aburame. Your father won't be head forever and right now is when you start proving your worthy of being a leader."

Shino just backed off and brought his eyes forward again, she had a point. Even with his words of encouragement to Naruto, the truth was he was in a similar situation where he had to prove himself a true Aburame. These exams would show his father if he was worthy of more advanced training or if he was not enough to become the next head.

Their walk took them up to the second floor where they found a large gathering of students in front of a set of classroom doors. There seemed to be some squabble going on with two genin guarding the door with the others trying to get in. Naruto looked up at the sign and saw the numbers 301, the correct classroom for the first exam, however they were on the second floor.

As Sasuki and Shino approached the front of the crowd, Naruto activated his sharingan and saw through the jutsu. Chakra surrounded the overhead sign and he could make out the correct numbers 201 beneath the genjutsu. It was simple and those who paid attention to their entrance should have had no problem realizing the trick.

No doubt those who were hanging around were the weaker squads easily falling for the trap set by the two door guards. He saw Sasuki was about to address them and pushed through the crowd to reach her.

"You two. What do you think you're doing?" Hands on her hips, Sasuki showed her impatience.

The genin around grew quiet as the Uchiha made her presence known, intimidated. The two guards didn't seem to care and just laughed, pointing to the large group behind her.

"Weeding out weaklings, what does it look like?"

"Yeah, if you can't get past us its better if you just give up. You won't survive long in the exam."

Sasuki was about to barge through them when Naruto came to join her, making her stop.

"Your genjutsu isn't fooling us. Drop the act and quit heckling these guys.."

Eyes went from the guards to the door number and surprise came over the genin in attendance. How could they miss such a simple genjutsu? Sasuki smirked in triumph as her brother put the two genin to shame. Even Shino had to admit he hadn't noticed at first glance.

"Heh. So you used your fancy doujutsu to see through it but let's see you block this!"

One jumped forward with a kick toward the blonde and Sasuki interjected with her own kick aimed for his abdomen. Using her sharingan she positioned her body so the kick would fly over her shoulder and hit air, missing them both while she would send him flying.

Her concentration was suddenly broken as a green blur appeared between the attacks and grabbed her leg as well as his. Naruto and Shino's eyes widened in surprise that someone was able to meet Sasuki's speed, let alone catch her attack. Gasps formed behind them as genin watched an Uchiha being stopped by someone they didn't even know.

Lee looked at Sasuki and his hand as it touched her clothed legs, black stockings that went up to her thighs and covered by her short skirt. His blush went ahead of his thoughts as he let go of their legs allowing the two offenders to back off. The taijutsu genin's eyes stared down at the ground in an attempt to control his blush as well as receive scolding from his approaching team.

"You broke the promise."

"Yeah, we aren't supposed to show off our moves yet, baka!"

Lee just bowed his head, sneaking another peek at Sasuki as her eyes watched him as well.

"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't do nothing."

_'How did he block my kick? What kind of chakra is in his arms..'_

Her sharingan revealed nothing out of the ordinary with his body or chakra; that angered her. Naruto had observed the attack as well and realized that he must have been quite skilled in taijutsu and very fit to be able to catch it, let alone block.

"Something is off about him." Shino leaned over and whispered to Naruto who could only agree.

"Yeah..there is something unique about him."

Sasuki watched with surprise as Lee walked over to her with a red face. Standing as tall as he could, Lee took a deep breath and bowed.

"My name is Rock Lee."

He put on his best smile and gave the Uchiha his nice guy pose learned from his sensei. With a twinkle in his smile and a big thumbs up, Gai said there was no way he could lose!

"Please be my girlfriend. I will protect you until I die!"

Sasuki soon lost her surprise and gained a certain level of disgust and her usual annoyance to any attempts to hit on her. Naruto had to bite back a smile as she folded her arms and nonchalantly declined.

"No thanks."

Lee lost his smile and a wave of defeat came over him. Desperate now, he pleaded with her.

"Why?" The defeat in his tone only brought more pleasure to her ears.

"I don't like you.." His head was sent to staring at the ground but that wasn't the end. "..and I'm engaged."

Lee fell to the ground in anguish as surprise swept the gathering crowd. She quickly grabbed Naruto and pulled him away, ordering Shino to hurry and follow. Before they could get away another voice called them out by their family name, this time with arrogance to match their own.

"Wait a moment Uchiha."

They turned to see a Hyuuga, evident by his violet irises turn to face them with a smirk. Considered rivals for dominance at one point, the Hyuuga and Uchiha were at each others throats often with their competing doujutsu. While the Hyuuga's eyes were all seeing, no one could argue the Uchiha were proven masters of jutsu combat and they had always held that title.

It seemed Neji wanted to take that honor away from them, by force if necessary.

"What are your names?"

Naruto glared at the Hyuuga, he didn't like his attitude.

"Its only right to introduce yourself first, Hyuuga."

Neji smirked and continued to prod them with useless questions.

"What is your age? What class are you from?"

"We aren't obliged to answer that."

Sasuki countered which annoyed the boy, as if she had any right to deny him the question.

"What was that?"

Sasuki just smirked but soon turned around as Naruto grabbed her hand and pulled her away. Squad Seven proceeded and left the genin to themselves.

Tenten watched them walk off and had to admit, the blonde Uchiha was kind of cute. His sister also had a fiery attitude she respected even though her partner didn't seem to feel the same.

"Hey Lee-" She turned to call for him but realized he was right next to her, scaring her.

His eyes watched the Uchiha leave, determination settled in.

"I must dismiss myself for a moment, I'll catch up soon."

"But Lee-"

He disappeared before she could argue and was then forced to proceed by Neji. It seemed no one had much patience today.

000

_Training Room_

000

"How did we end up in the training hall?"

"We must have been in such a rush to leave we missed the room.."

"I distinctly told you tw-"

"Shut it Shino!"

The three genin walked down a flight of stairs in the training dojo to try and get their bearings, arguing with one another on the way. With the two Uchiha leading they quickly found themselves far away from the Hyuuga and everyone else but also lost. Shino tried to warn them but they ignored him as per usual.

Just as they were preparing to leave a voice echoed from the balcony above and forced their attention.

"Uchiha-san!"

Lee leaped down and faced the others, blushing as his eyes landed on Sasuki. She merely looked away in disgust and quickly forced the boy into depression again. His eyes migrated to Naruto and his determination returned as he got into his taijutsu stance.

"I would like to fight you and free her from whatever political marriage she may be in. It isn't right to keep someone to yourself on a technicality."

Naruto felt his blood rush and an uncommon emotion of anger come over him, fists balling. Sasuki looked over at her blonde and knew that comment had hit some soft spot in him so she quickly turned to face Lee and explain properly.

"There is no political marriage, we both like each other and are happily engaged. I have no interest in you so just leave us alone."

Lee was surprised a bit but just shook the thought free, even if there was the slightest chance of outside influence he still wanted to prove his point.

"That isn't the only reason I'm fighting. I also want to test my skills against one of the famed Uchiha."

Just as Sasuki was about to say something Naruto stepped in front of her and placed himself into a classic Uchiha fighting stance. She was taken by surprise as Naruto wasn't usually so quick to fight. Lee must have really made him angry.

"I will prove to you that our relationship is more than just words! Fight me."

Lee smiled as that was the reaction he was hoping for. He readied himself as the blonde activated the famous doujutsu of his family, the sharingan.

Sasuki was about to intervene when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Shino just shook his head and indicated she stay out of it.

"Don't think of it as them fighting over you, Naruto has just as much to prove as Lee."

She didn't understand but felt as though the Aburame was right. These two needed to fight to prove their points even if it wouldn't affect the rest of the world.

Naruto waited a moment before charging forward. He could already tell Lee's tactics were defensive and short-range so he would have to be the one to begin the fight. Now in front of the challenger, Naruto threw a punch for Lee's face only to be deflected by his forward arm. He flipped and stood up by his hands, launching a few kicks at Lee only to be deflected and have his leg grabbed.

With little effort the taijutsu user threw Naruto behind him toward the wall. He waited for an impact but heard none, turning to see Naruto had recovered in midair and was crouching on the wall. The blonde was slightly panting as he went over the moves Lee had used and realized he used no chakra, it was all foot techniques combined with taijutsu.

_'No jutsu. Is he playing with me or is it possible he doesn't have the ability for genjutsu or ninjutsu?'_

Lee smiled, Naruto must have been catching on quickly because of his sharingan. With the ability to see his movements and chakra allocation, it must have been a shock to realize he was not using standard ninjutsu.

Sasuki was surprised Lee could keep up with Naruto as he was even faster than she was. Her sharingan still too undeveloped to fully read his movements, she found it annoying and worrisome to watch the two fight.

_'Looks like this won't be so-'_

Lee appeared in front of Naruto with one arm behind his back and a swinging kick headed straight for his head. No time to dodge, Naruto brought up an arm and blocked the hit to the side of his face but was still sent flying. He rolled on solid ground and quickly recovered, rubbing his arm from the strength behind that kick.

_'His speed and strength might even surpass mine, this isn't good.'_

Naruto went on the offensive again, charging Lee. His eyes caught leg movement and his chin exploded in pain as Lee sent him flying up without moving the rest of his body. With such precise control of his bodily movements it made using the sharingan to predict his next move almost impossible.

But Naruto had been expecting that.

As he flew up his foot came close to Lee's still extended one. Sending chakra to the soles of his foot and using Lee as a medium, Naruto came to a sudden stop as he dropped to the ground, surprising his opponent. With their legs still connected and useless, Naruto balanced on his hands again and sent a strong kick for Lee's abdomen, sending him flying back as their feet disconnected.

Lee had not expected the blonde to use such an unorthodox technique learned from chakra control to defeat his taijutsu defense. It would seem the Uchiha weren't just jutsu fighters, they could use improvised tactics as well.

_'It seems I might have to use **that** jutsu Gai-sensei.'_

Before he could fully recover from the kick, he felt something odd beneath him that made his legs wobble. To his surprise the floor beneath him was flooding with water and making him lose balance. As he attempted to control his chakra, he realized the density and viscosity of the water was changing too often for him to balance the correct chakra weight.

Where did it come from and why couldn't he properly balance?

Naruto easily ran across the artificially formed water and read Lee's more pronounced body movements as he struggled to balance and defend. He easily ducked under a kick and hit Lee right in the gut, making him flinch. An arm came up to try and grapple or push Naruto away but his body weaved out of the way as he hit Lee's chin with a brutal uppercut.

Even though he couldn't fully control his bloodline's more advanced nature, Naruto had successfully learned the secrets behind creating water as well as manipulating its properties. It was the advantage he needed to beat Lee who was used to balanced, fair ground for his foot techniques to work. As he tried to balance himself his feet went astray and threw him off balance, making his defense suffer.

Naruto leaped into the air and brought down a harsh axe kick on Lee's shoulder, forcing him to his knees. Pivoting on his foot, the blonde got behind and kicked him in the back. This forced him onto the ground. The water was just enough to lift him off the wooden floor so he wouldn't drown; it was also just enough to keep him from properly standing up.

Sasuki and Shino were amazed at Naruto's suddenly revealed ability and how he turned the tables on Lee. It really showed how far he had come mentally since the academy with using observations against an opponent.

It was especially impacting Sasuki as she saw Naruto's true strength again and realized that he was at least partly showing it because of her. That made her feel happy inside to know how far he would go for her. The combination of ferocity and level headed thinking she could visibly see emanate from him gave her the chills.

It was as if he was radiating an aura of strength that she succumbed to.

_'This Rock Lee had no idea who he was messing with. How dare he think to separate us?'_

Naruto was sent flying into the air by Lee who was able to get up and hit him in a blind spot. Even if it was for a moment, Lee had been working on timing his footing correctly with the changing waters to give him the chance to hit Naruto. Now that he had him in the air Lee quickly leaped up and prepared for his Lotus attack.

"Your water technique surprised me and definitely gave you an advantage, I hadn't suspected that from an Uchiha." The jumpsuit wearing genin said to Naruto from below.

Naruto growled in annoyance as he had hoped the fight would have been concluded with his last attack. It seemed Lee had another technique to show off, that was something he couldn't afford to let happen.

"I'm not your average Uchiha!"

As Lee's bandages began to wrap around him, Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. The taijutsu user was taken by surprise that he had been fooled by some sort of jutsu. His eyes wandered to find his opponent when he looked above to see Naruto axe kick him in the stomach and send him flying to the ground. In the air he was unable to maneuver as he traveled to the ground in obvious pain.

To his horror, Naruto was also on the ground waiting for him to drop. Lee struggled to turn his body to meet his attack but felt it wouldn't respond properly, it was too sluggish.

With no emotion other than a look of calm on his face, Naruto raised one leg and as if having the exact timing, extended it in a lightning fast move that sent Lee flying sideways and into the wall. The timing was simple with his sharingan and Lee's body seemed to have been temporarily unbalanced thanks to his suiton technique allowing his kick to land without fault.

Albeit a bit tired, Naruto deactivated his sharingan and smiled with the confidence that he won the fight with his own strength. Sasuki and Shino quickly joined him and congratulated his victory; Shino with a few polite words and Sasuki with a kiss on the lips.

Lee fell from the wall and struggled to stand. He had underestimated someone for the first time he had been fighting, his thought process blinded by the desire to win and defeat Naruto. But was it because of Sasuki or because of Naruto's superior position as an Uchiha? Lee truly couldn't understand how he so blindly allowed himself to be beaten but as he watched the victor begin to leave with his friends, he swore to improve himself.

The Uchiha were not the only ones he wanted to prove himself against, but if he couldn't beat them fair in square he was sure his other rival would destroy him easily. He wondered if Naruto and Sasuki could beat Neji. It would make for a great show he thought.

_'I should apologize to them when I get the chance..it seems I've misunderstood their relationship.'_

Lee again struggled to make his way back before his team missed him. A voice echoed behind and he flinched for a moment, knowing he was in trouble from the tone.

"Lee..what the hell did you think you were doing!"

"Gai-sensei I can ex-"

"No back talk Lee!"

…

"Yes sir."

000

And that concludes this chapter of _Blonde Uchiha_. To be honest I never got the reasoning of why Lee liked Sakura as its doubtful they knew each other in childhood and since he was a class ahead they couldn't have met often in the academy. I'm guessing it was a sudden crush when he first saw her so I thought perhaps it could happen again with Sasuki, she is admired for her beauty just as much as skill after all.

It also adds another opponent for Naruto as Kiba also has his eyes on her although we know who is the true victor in this contest. More drama and writing opportunities for the story though I say.

I wonder how these exams will go with a female Sasuki, a sharingan Naruto and new team-mate Shino? I can't wait to start writing it.

I'd also thought I would ask what your opinions are on the Shippuden movies as I'm planning on fitting them into Part II for fillers. I think it would be interesting to see as I find them not often used as well as normal filler arcs (of which I might also use).

Review!

See you in _Namikaze Assassin_ as we see Squad Seven arrive at the tower for preliminary rounds.

Oh and a Naruto/Mass Effect crossover? Bye!


	14. An Inescapable Destiny

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 14

An Inescapable Destiny

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now genin while Mikoto has returned to active duty as a Leaf Jounin.

Hey guys, time for another chapter of _Blonde Uchiha_. It has been quite a while since I updated so I'm sure you have had plenty of time to wonder what will happen in this next installment. It is particularly important to the story as it is at this point that Sasuke receives the Cursed Mark during the Second Exam.

Many have expressed fear and disdain to the idea of Sasuki receiving it like her alter ego. Your questions will be answered in this chapter needless to say, although the consequences of these events will not be properly conveyed by brushing up on the manga chapters or episodes in the anime. This story is not a carbon copy by any means and while it follows the same general story, the characters that exist within _Blonde Uchiha_ transform this into its own world.

Look forward to the future chapters with no knowledge of what it will bring, there will be many twists and turns that you may or may not expect.

This chapter will be centered around the First Exam, rivalries between the Genin present, and the most important part of the Second Exam; the showdown with Orochimaru.

000

_Genin Assembly_

_Classroom_

000

Team 7 arrived at the set of doors they were instructed to go to for the first exam, all feeling much better they had made it on time. To their surprise, Kakashi was waiting for them at the door. Leaning against the wall and lazily looking out the window it was hard to tell whether he was there with a purpose or not.

The three made their approach and made him turn his head to greet their arrival.

"Looks like you all made it, just as expected."

Sasuki crossed her arms and gave him an odd look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kakashi got up from his spot on the wall to stand before them, blocking their entry to the next room. With a shrug he made it clear that it wasn't very important; they had arrived, that was all that mattered.

"Oh nothing, just good to see you all together is all."

He hid his beaming smile beneath a facade of sarcasm. There was some dissent among the Jounin whether the Uchiha would participate after the unfortunate events surrounding their clan in the past few years. Although he knew it was idle talk with little knowledge to back it, it still annoyed him how so many could underestimate Naruto and Sasuki.

_'Now they can prove it to everyone how much they've grown..and how strong the Uchiha really are.'_

"The testing will start soon, we should get inside and prepare ourselves."

Shino reminded them after a long pause of standing in the hallway. Kakashi just nodded and looked over the three of them one last time, after this he wouldn't get to see them for a while. The next time he was them, they would have gone through trials they would never had expected. It would either make them or break them; Kakashi was betting on each one of them heading straight for the end.

"Naruto..Sasuki..Shino.." He slowly turned to each one, acknowledging them in his own way.

The Jounin smiled, a smile that spread to their faces.

"I'm proud of you, you really are a part of my team."

With a few steps to the side, he subtly opened the path before them and allowed the team to continue.

"Get in there and show them what you can do."

Naruto and Shino walked ahead and grabbed a door handle, opening the entryway for Sasuki to head in first. With her head held high, the young girl entered and did not recoil upon seeing dozens of other ninja staring at her. Instead, she merely gave them a dismissive shrug and waited for the rest of her team to enter before walking over toward the wall to find their own spot to stand.

Naruto had to admit he felt a bit unnerved at how many stares they were getting, he hoped it was only normal for all teams. It seemed many eyes focused on their crests emblazon on their attires; some held their gaze with awe and fear, others with an excited smile of the coming battles.

"Well talk about the competition." Naruto mumbled, he had never seen so many shinobi in one place before.

Sasuki just leaned against the wall and smiled, this would truly be a proper test for her. Her eyes gazed across the sea of shinobi and relished in the challenge that each would bring, although knowing she would be the victor over each spoiled the fun.

Naruto and Shino joined her in waiting but did not share her anticipation in the coming trials. For the Aburame it was a time for calm, to keep his thoughts focused on the task at hand. He would not allow their enemies to shake his resolve after coming this far.

For the blonde all he needed was to see Sasuki's confidence for it to reflect on himself. They would win this exam, he was sure of it. He smiled, if it was what she wished then he would do it.

_'I will make sure she keeps that smile.'_

"Sasuki-chan, you made it!"

They turned their heads to recognize the new arrivals, Squad 10 walked over with Ino leading the charge. The Uchiha girl frowned, it seemed they still didn't leave her alone. Ever since the academy the boys had only eyes for her beauty and the girls both hated and admired her for it. Her looks, her skill, her intellect; all of what a kunoichi should have aspired to become.

What they could not beat they eventually bowed to, much to her chagrin. While Sasuki enjoyed being above others in a metaphoric sense, there was no value in it if they did not seek to challenge her.

The blonde girl took what she thought was her rightful place on the wall next to Sasuki, basking in her presence. Shikamaru just sighed as he found himself migrating over to Shino and Naruto with Choiji following close behind. Girls in his opinion brought nothing but trouble and were significant drags on his day. Ino was bearable on most days but it seemed Sasuki tipped her annoying scale.

"So you guys got dragged into this exam too?" The pineapple head asked, shaking his head.

Naruto just scratched the back of his head and Shino remained silent.

"Not much of a choice I'm afraid. Sasuki would have killed either of us if we forfeited, not that we planned on it."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto and was surprised to see confidence radiate from him; even Shino stood straighter upon mention. The boys of Squad 10 had not been looking forward to what they saw as way too much work way too soon, but it seemed their counterparts on Squad 7 disagreed.

"We aren't gonna back down until all of us are Chunin. There is no way we can lose."

The lazy genius sighed at Naruto's proclamation, he had finally gone crazy.

"Yeah well good luck with that. If you haven't noticed.." He hiked a thumb over his shoulder toward the rest of the participants. "..You've got a lot of people to go through before you get a promotion."

"Including me."

They turned to the new voice and saw Kiba arrive with Squad 8, Sakura and Hinata in tow. The pink head quickly saw Ino attempting to befriend the clearly annoyed Sasuki and rushed over to break up whatever conversation was happening between them.

Kiba immediately headed over to the other boys and smirked at Naruto, happy to see his rival was attending. It would give him the chance to finally knock some sense into the idiot and show who was the real alpha male among their class. Then maybe Sasuki would wake up and see who was the real loser.

Naruto scowled, there was the dog boy. For the longest time it seemed Kiba had something against Naruto, but what he could not understand until very recently. He had caught him sending glances to Sasuki and being properly ignored, although she never told Naruto that he was doing it.

_'Obviously she was trying to keep us from fighting one another..'_ Kiba stood across from the blonde as he turned to face him. _'Might not be so avoidable anymore.'_

"Naruto."

"Kiba."

Sasuki slipped away from the two arguing girls and tried to rejoin the others, but found they had all backed off to allow Naruto and Kiba room. Joining Shino she saw the two were staring each other down and for the first time were not backing down. Had they finally decided to do something stupid like fight over her?

'_Can't say I'm flattered..'_ She scowled, this would not end well.

"Just thought I'd let you know, now that we're taking this exam together."

Kiba smirked after saying something she had not caught to Naruto; the blonde tried to hide his anger. His fists shook as he stood his ground, glaring at the Inuzuka.

"You don't know what you're talking about Kiba. If you think I'm going to let that happen, you must be insane."

Akamaru felt his master's anger rise with his heaving chest, and he whimpered in response. It wasn't like Kiba to act like that in most situations but it seemed he was quite serious in challenging Naruto over the girl.

"First chance I get, I'm going to _destroy _you. That will show everyone just how strong I am and prove I'm the right male for Sasuki."

Naruto ran forward and was able to grab his coat, holding the other boy with an iron grip. In anger, he held up a fist and seemed ready to smash his opponent's face in.

"She is NOT a dog you bastard! Don't talk about her like you own her."

Kiba took the opportunity to grab onto Naruto's shirt with an equal strength, staring him down.

"That's where you're wrong blondie. She's mine, you just don't know it yet."

"You wanna die mutt?"

"Fight me whiskers, unless you are.._scared_?"

Just before they could come to blows, a presence appeared between them. Before they could react both were pushed away to the far sides of the room. Laying eyes on the interruption they were surprised to see Sasuki breaking it up, both arms outstretched from pushing them back.

Sending a glare to both of them, she ignored all the eyes now on her to deliver a proper message between the bickering ninja.

"Would you two get a hold of yourselves? You are acting like children.." She crossed her arms in annoyance making Naruto look down in shame and Kiba get even more angry.

"She is so cool." Sakura said from the sidelines with the others, Ino nodding in agreement.

Shikamaru just sighed as Choiji ate his bag of potato chips, as if things weren't already bad enough they were fighting one another. What this showed for their village's unity must have left a lot to be desired by the other shinobi.

Hinata didn't know which one to be more concerned for, her teammate Kiba or her crush Naruto. It seemed Sasuki was taking care of the situation so they wouldn't have to fight one another, she thanked her quietly.

_'I don't think I could bear to see something like that.'_

"Oi, I wasn't done with-"

"Shut up. I won't have you roughing up my brother right in front of me, especially when you are both doing it because of me!"

She sighed, why did boys always have to make such trivial matters into such big of deals!

"I'm not interested Kiba, nor will I ever be interested. If that isn't good enough I will be happy to beat some sense into you during the exam, or let Naruto finish what you started."

Kiba growled and took a step forward upon hearing the challenge.

Naruto just stayed to his side of the room and tried not to antagonize the situation, it wasn't worth getting on Sasuki's bad side. When she got like that it was impossible to argue with her, her intellect combined with her stubbornness kept anyone from countering her opinion.

Besides, she was right in that case. They had to save it for when they were allowed to fight one another and then they wouldn't have to hold back and could settle it once and for all.

"A runt like him couldn't beat-"

"Couldn't beat you? Please Kiba, it isn't even a fair contest between you two. It's just one of the many reasons why you haven't had the nerve to try something like this before right? Getting selected to participate in the exam gave you some boost of confidence as you believed you had surpassed an Uchiha in skill?"

Sasuki just smirked and shook her head, he was as foolish as he was brash. Whatever gave him the thought she would allow herself to be won over to his side was a strange thing indeed.

"He isn't an Uchiha, not really. I'm going to prove it after I run him into the ground."

Kiba shook his fist and glared at Naruto to protest his point, although his confidence floundered under Sasuki's disappointed gaze.

"If that's what you really think, then I will not feel bad for you if we fight one another. Someone like you.." She just shook her head and returned to her squad near the wall.

"_Someone like you.._" She mumbled, not allowing anyone to hear her final thoughts. _"Would never understand the real me."_

Naruto hesitantly rejoined Shino and Sasuki as Kiba kept his distance, thoroughly beaten in the argument. He had no doubt that he and Kiba would cross paths again, and that time Sasuki wouldn't be able to stop them. It was fine though, as it would finally give him a real opportunity to show his strength and prove why he was at Sasuki's side.

"You handled things appropriately Sasuki." Shino noted with an approving tone.

"I don't need your praise Shino. I can't stand it when stupid things happen around me, especially when Naruto has to get involved." The Aburame shrugged and Naruto purposely avoided eye contact with Sasuki in embarrassment.

"Hey, you guys mind keeping it down a little?"

Eyes turned to meet a silver haired genin that looked a bit older than them, standing a head taller than most. A smile adorned his face, although it gave him a haughty look with his condescending tone. There was something about him that made Naruto feel unsettled, but he couldn't tell what.

"What do you mean? Who are you?" Ino shouted in annoyance.

Kabuto just smiled and shook his head to their naivety. It seemed they needed a proper education on the exam's etiquette before it started. His eyes wandered over to Sasuki and it was almost as if he was studying her body before shaking himself free of thought.

"I am Yakushi Kabuto, and I ask you to look around again."

They looked and were reminded of the large group of shinobi who were watching them carefully, studying their every move. It unnerved Sakura and Ino in particular but the rest kept their cool, even if it was just a facade to hide their trepidation behind.

"I said to keep it down so you don't draw so much attention to yourself. All of these guys are your enemies, the last thing you want is for them to focus their attention on you."

Kabuto shrugged and smiled, trying to give them encouragement.

"It can't be helped though, its your first exam. Someone here needs to give you guys a heads up and I suppose it would be best for me to do so as this is not my first time."

"So..how many times have you done this Kabuto-san?" Sakura asked out of curiosity.

"This is my seventh attempt in four years." Their eyes widened, that was a long time.

_'These exams are that difficult? What kind of a situation have we gotten ourselves into this time..'_ Shikamaru held his head in his hand, trying to calm himself.

"Then that means you must have a lot of information right?" Sasuki asked with her arms crossed, somewhat skeptical of their upperclassmen.

Kabuto smiled and nodded.

"That's right, and I'm willing to share what I know."

"He still has not been able to pass, keep that in mind." Shino reminded, not trusting of the overly friendly genin.

"That's true as well, but I've kept my information on the other shinobi here quite up to date. I'm sure you will be satisfied."

He proceeded to pull out a deck of cards and knelt to the ground in front of their group, preparing them for use. Sasuki and Naruto migrated to the front of the pack, curious.

"These cards are designed to hold information via chakra, two hundred in all. They have information on most of the shinobi in this room so just give me what you know about them and I'll look them up."

They were quiet for a moment, not sure of who to ask. This was their first exam and they knew few people there, the few they did know were from their class and as such they believed they knew all there was to know already.

Sasuki on the other hand had a few particular shinobi she had been paying close attention to and wanted more information on. Although she was confident in her skills, a little bonus was always appreciated.

"What do you have on Rock Lee of Konoha and Gaara of Suna."

Receiving the order, Kabuto looked up to see the girl was serious in her question and quickly began to focus his chakra.

"Since you know their names this will be quick. First we have.." The card was covered in smoke before revealing Rock Lee's portrait with corresponding information.

"Rock Lee. Fourteen years old, your senior. With eleven C-ranks and twenty D-ranks, it puts him with a good amount of practical experience." Kabuto pointed out the skill chart that was largely one sided. "As you can see, his taijutsu skills are very high, but it shows in the other fields where he lacks any ability."

Naruto examined the card and saw it reflected Lee perfectly. As demonstrated in their fight he used no genjutsu or ninutsu, just taijutsu and to a deadly effect. If he hadn't caught onto Lee's reliance on foot movement and stance he would have surely lost.

Sasuki examined the card for herself, biting her thumb lightly in thought. It seemed her sharingan hadn't lied and that Rock Lee really did only use physical strength to compete against Naruto. It would make facing him troublesome but Naruto had warned her about watching his footwork and that would give her a proper advantage.

"He caught the spotlight last year as one of the more experienced genin and was expected to take the exam. However, his team did not participate. This will be the first time for them, same as you."

Hinata flinched as her thoughts wandered to her cousin. It was her personal fear that she would be forced to fight him and she knew in her position victory was almost impossible. Despite that, she still went through with the exam for her team and for her clan, it was not in her place to refuse.

"Next up is Gaara." The card filled in quickly but was bare, surprising even Kabuto.

"Huh, it seems I don't have much information on him. Looks like he is about the same age as you, but has gone on a B-rank mission as a genin. Impressive. Other than that..it seems his skills are largely a mystery."

That didn't leave the Uchiha with much to go on but from their encounter with him, they could tell he would be a dangerous opponent. With such a cold demeanor, they had no doubt his instinct would be to kill and they could not afford to hold back if they met him.

"I'm not sure if we're ready for this.." Sakura said, shaken by the tone in which the conversation had taken.

"Too late to say something like that." Sasuki responded coolly.

"There is a new village that is taking part, Oto. I don't have much information on them since they were just recently created, but its easy to say all participating are the elite of their country."

With this the genin took a moment to think over the implications they were now faced with. Knowing they would be fighting against the best, did they really stand a chance? The Uchiha shared a look between one another and they slowly began to smile, surprising some.

"What do you think Naruto?"

"I think these elite need to be taught what it means to face an Uchiha."

"I was thinking the same."

Their confidence unshaken, the duo remained strong under the room's collective glare.

000

In one particular corner of the assembly, three genin of a recently mentioned village eyed the group with annoyance. They had heard the dismissive comments made on Sound and were too prideful not to take offense.

"Did you hear that? They made it sound like Oto was a small and inconsequential village."

"They need to be taught a lesson."

"Let's play for a bit."

They disappeared in a blur, running across the room for their target. A few heads turned but barely any registered their movement as they flitted through the gaps of people with ease.

000

Sasuki and Naruto turned their heads and noticed the movement soon realizing their target was Kabuto. The blonde glanced over and saw the Leaf genin had noticed as well, watching from the corner of his eye.

They watched as one launched up into the air and threw kunai at Kabuto, forcing him to fall back. That made him take his eyes off the real threat as Dosu launched himself forward, thrusting his melody arm out and just barely missing Kabuto's nose. Sliding back he was able to escape their attack and take a moment to catch his breath.

Observing the attack it seemed as if it wasn't meant to hit him physically, but the others did not understand why. At first it seemed as though they had missed their mark and the silver haired genin smiled in confidence. That was until his glasses shattered, forcing him to remove them.

"So..it was that kind of attack." He said quietly, grasping the concept behind Dosu's move.

"How could that be, the attack missed." Sasuki said in confusion.

"It must have hit his nose, that's what he gets for trying to show off." Shikamaru denounced Kabuto's casual stance with the attack.

The Oto ninja remained in a standoff with Kabuto as his calm composure faltered suddenly, forcing him to his knees in pain. He was forced to vomit, surprising those watching the display.

"Kabuto-san!" Sakura shouted in concern.

Naruto kept replaying the attack but was unable to come up with a proper conclusion. Kyuubi had been up for some time sensing his brother's presence nearby, waiting for an opportune time to warn Naruto. Sensing the boy's confusion, he decided to weigh in his own observation.

"_**It was an attack based off of sound waves produced from the device attached to that boy's arm. You noticed how he purposely missed because the point behind the attack was not physical."**_

_'Sound waves? Its possible to manipulate them into a weapon?'_

"_**You would be surprised how lethal they can be, but to find anyone who can use them like that is rare. He will be a dangerous opponent if not dealt with properly."**_

Naruto eyed the Oto shinobi carefully, it seemed they really were not ones to underestimate.

"You don't seem so tough for a four year veteran."

"Write this on your card; the Oto genin are going to become Chunin!"

Dosu mocked the downed Leaf genin while Zaku gloated.

"Quiet down you punks!"

Attention was brought to the front of the room as a large puff of smoke appeared following the loud announcement. It revealed a host of examiners standing behind the tallest and most intimidating of them all, a man in a large trench coat and many scars adorning his face.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Morino Ibiki and I am the first exam's proctor."

He pointed an accusing finger to the back of the room where the altercation took place, making a few sweat in anxiety. With a scowl his voice again filled the room in a harsh scold.

"You three from Oto, don't think you can get away with fighting when we aren't around!"

Dosu turned his head and bowed in address, smiling beneath his bandages.

"Apologies, I was just a bit excited since this is my first exam."

Ibiki just shook his head and looked around the room at the rest of the examinees.

"This is a good opportunity to say, that you are not allowed to fight one another without permission from an examiner. Any future infractions will be met with more than a warning, got it?"

The silence following confirmed his order had been received.

"Now then, hand in your applications and take a number card along with your test. Go to where the number tells you and wait until we begin."

A few became unnerved upon learning they would have to take a written test, expecting something more physical.

"Well, looks like this is where we get split up." Naruto whispered as they got in line.

"Scared you will fail this early?" Sasuki prodded him with her elbow only for him to respond with a smile.

"I could say the same to you. All that practice you did was with jutsu, I bet you already forgot how to take a test."

"If I remember correctly **I** was acing tests while you were doodling in your notebook!"

Before the two Uchiha could make another scene with their inherent competitiveness, Shino quickly moved to diffuse the situation.

"We will not pass this exam by arguing."

They reluctantly followed their teammates advice and quietly moved along with receiving the test and sitting down in their assigned spots. As expected all three were scattered around the room, isolated from one another. Naruto found himself sitting next to Sakura and an Ame shinobi.

Sasuki found herself between two leering Konoha genin that would no doubt find themselves too distracted to take the test. With a fiery glare with her sharingan, it forced both into their respective corners of the desk.

Shino was seated well in the back among a few Kusa and Ame shinobi and he was already preparing himself. Outstretching his arm to adjust the place of his paper and writing utensils, a few bugs flew from his sleeve and began to migrate around the room to avoid suspicion.

_'I can use my sharingan to copy Sakura's pencil movements.'_

Naruto had his own plan to handle things and knew his teammates would do fine on their own. Waiting for the order to start, it was time for the long awaited Chunin Exams to begin.

000

_For the Reader's Convenience..._

000

_Konohagakure_

_44th Training Ground_

000

Their handler unlocked the gate and allowed Team 7 to rush into the Forest of Death. They planned to get as much distance from the starting point as possible before stopping to discuss. Naruto watched as Sasuki and Shino leaped from branch to branch, not missing a step. He opted to run through the bushes and leaped over a downed tree trunk now a rotting corpse on the ground.

All around the forest was impossibly dark with no light to shine on the surface. It gave the entire area an ominous feel as if an opponent could be anywhere, watching them and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Having been given a Heaven scroll and were instructed to seek out a team with the corresponding Earth scroll, it didn't take long for them to realize this was not only a battle of survival, but a battle between the genin. There was no way to tell for sure if another team had the scroll without seeing it first hand, and they could not afford to battle every squad they came across.

_'Our only chance is to get the drop on an unsuspecting group and get lucky enough that they have what we need. The longer we stay in this forest..'_ Bugs chattered and loud growls of a beast could be heard, shaking Naruto's concentration. _'..The more danger we will be in.'_

"_**Don't forget what I told you about Ichibi boy.."**_ Kyuubi's voice rumbled in his head, reminding him of their conversation during the first exam.

He had told Naruto about the Sand Demon and what he may face if he were to fight the carrier. All together it seemed like a scary prospect to face another Jinchuuriki, their power being substantially greater than most normal shinobi. It would rather be his desire to get along but he knew it was a naïve thought based on how Gaara acted previously; with such a cold demeanor, how could anyone get along with him?

"We should stop here!" Shino shouted from above and landed next to the now stopped Naruto.

Sasuki remained in her tree for a moment longer to survey the area and make sure it was the right decision. With a shrug she too landed on the forest floor and noticed Shino was often reaching into his coat pocket to ensure the scroll remained safe.

"Stop that Shino or else you will give away you are the one with the scroll!"

The bug user stopped his hand in mid stride and nodded, berating himself for showing such a tick. It seemed even he had some anxiety going into this exam as none of them had faced anything like it before.

"Alright, we're here now. What's the plan?" Naruto asked anxious to move along.

Sasuki looked between her two teammates before crossing her arms in thought.

"First we need to acclimatize ourselves to this terrain and get used to hiding among the shadows. Then we use Shino's bugs to find another squad and..well you explain bug boy."

Passing the torch to the now slightly annoyed Shino, he nevertheless picked up where she left off while releasing a few Kikaichu from his sleeves. They watched as the bugs scattered in all directions to begin searching out chakra signatures for them to follow up later.

"My Kikaichu feed off chakra and are adept at seeking it out. Acting as our eyes they will guide us to the nearest squad and subtly begin to eat their chakra, weakening them for when we arrive. With the element of surprise we should have little trouble handling most in our way."

Sasuki nodded and smiled, satisfied with the plan. Although she regretted her Sharingan couldn't be more useful in the initial stage as the Aburame's bugs, she knew it would be her and Naruto that would pull the weight when they entered battle.

Naruto agreed and felt it was pretty solid for what they had to go on. Before suggesting they get started he suddenly cringed and held his stomach, he had to go to the bathroom.

_'Ah..I knew I should have went when we were still in Konoha.'_

"Hey guys..I'll be right back. I need to go take a leak.."

It took a moment to register with Sasuki before her face blushed in anger and she hit him over the head.

"You idiot! Can't you use more polite terms in the presence of a woman!"

Shino just shook his head as Naruto mumbled an apology before running off, he must have really had to go. The girl just shook her head furiously trying to erase what she had just heard. Naruto had his moments of brilliance but sometimes he could be so crude!

It was some time later that they found themselves still waiting for his return. Sasuki didn't want to admit it but while at first she was annoyed it was now worry that covered her features. Keeping calm the Aburame present listened to the chatter of insects in the forest attempting to gather further information. It was then that a few of his Kikaichu indicated they had attached to a human chakra signature and it was _close_.

_'That's impossible, the only one that should be close is Naruto and I specifically made my bugs digest their chakra to ensure they would not..get..confused..'_

Alarmed, Shino awoke from his trance and oriented his head in the direction the sounds were coming from. Noticing something was wrong his teammate looked at him and then in the same direction, unable to piece the dots together as he did.

"Sasuki, trouble!" He took off in a dash as the surprised Uchiha stumbled and began to follow.

"What's the matter all of a sudden?" She shouted.

"Someone other than Naruto is close by! I think he may be-"

Before he could finish his sentence a great amount of heat could be felt and their peripheral vision showed an orange projectile headed their way. With little time to spare they backed out of the way of Naruto's attack as he revealed himself on a nearby tree branch, fighting in close combat with an Ame ninja.

"**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!**"

Flying through hand signs as he dodged a punch from the opposing shinobi, Naruto launched dozens of fireballs from his mouth. This forced the Ame ninja named Oboro to back flip away from the blonde whom he had been trying to subdue for some time now. Weaving in and out of the dangerous projectiles he sensed new presences below and saw the rest of Naruto's team approaching.

_'Damn! I took too long..I can't handle all of these guys.'_

"Get away from him!"

Sasuki launched into the air while going through hand signs forcing the enemy's attention her way. Gathering up air in her lungs, she fired a large fireball from her mouth in an attempt to destroy the opposition.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**"

The flames forced Oboro off the branch, searing his left arm and leaving black soot all along his side. He clutched his arm in pain and watched as the Uchiha united on the branch and pursued him to the ground. Rolling away he began going through hand signs as he needed a distraction to get away.

"**Doton: Doryūheki!**"

A wall of mud separated the fighters as it quickly solidified into a tough rocky substance. As they attempted to climb over it Oboro began to retreat until he was forced to stop, their other teammate stood in his way. With his hands in his pockets and with what appeared to be little interest in the Ame ninja, Shino was both frightening and yet gave off no threatening notion or killing intent.

"Outta my way!" Oboro launched forward and punched Shino who dodged underneath the attack by bending his knees.

With a smirk the Ame ninja launched a kick at the low Konoha nin only to watch him dodge by leaping into the air. Unable to react in time Shino kicked Oboro in the face while in midair, sending him into a nearby tree. The siblings arrived in time to watch the Aburame's trap spring as Kikaichu charged from all directions and began to swarm over the body of the Rain shinobi.

"AHHH!" He screamed in terror unable to escape the insects.

Knowing it would only be a matter of seconds before his chakra was drained Shino was content to stand back and watch his insects work. He became unsettled as Oboro's outline began to deteriorate underneath the swarm and ordered the Kikaichu off of him. They watched as his body melted into mud, apparently he had enough chakra to use the jutsu to escape.

"He got away.."

Naruto said crossing his arms, he wanted to pay him back for trying to attack him. It seemed as if he wouldn't get the chance to, at least not that time.

"Dammit..I was going to make him pay." Sasuki growled.

Shino remained quiet, thankful his teammates did not blame him. Although his family would hate to admit it, there was no one hundred percent way to capture an opponent even after ensnaring them with Kikaichu. A resourceful one could use a jutsu to escape or somehow get the bugs off their person.

Still, he was not aware there would be such skilled combatants in the exam. He would have to be even more careful the next time he used that technique.

"We made quite a ruckus, we should move before more squads show up."

Agreeing with Shino's words the three began to move when a loud howl came from a far off area, forcing them to turn in its direction. Seeing a projectile headed for him Naruto quickly brought up a hand and caught the small pebble inches from his eye.

Confused, he scrunched his eye brows and again looked in that direction. The howl only got louder and they were able to identify it as the familiar howl of a strong wind, but it was unnatural.

"What is this.." Shino began to feel the wind pushing at him and dug his heels into the ground, leaning forward.

"It isn't natural, we need to-"

Before Sasuki could warn them further the attack hit their position and sent them flying back. She found herself flying through the air in some sort of whirlwind. Desperately she oriented her body and properly landed on a tree, her feet planted with chakra. Staying in a low crouch she held up an arm to shield her eyes from dirt and tried to make out her teammates in the chaos.

Shino ordered his insects to retreat from the area as they were being flung all over the place. Sasuki was right the attack wasn't a natural occurrence, his bugs could sense the chakra and at first tried desperately to halt it to no avail. Whoever was attacking them was extremely powerful with Futon techniques. He was able to safely land on a tree branch and saw Naruto go flying without anything to grab onto.

"Naruto!" He shouted in vain to get his partner's attention only for the blonde to be flung farther into the forest, separating them.

_'This isn't good..'_

As the wind died down the remaining teammates were able to regroup with one another. Shino pointed out the direction in which Naruto flew in an attempt to calm the stressed Uchiha girl.

"We need to go get him! He might be hurt.."

"It will have to be fast, before the person who-..wait.." Shino turned around, sensing something. "..wait.."

They turned their backs to one another trying to find the new presence. Their attacker soon revealed themselves by leaping down to the ground with them; the Kusa shinobi. Her smile caught them off guard as she eyed them like mice.

"I finally found you, I was starting to think I would never get the chance to face the infamous Uchiha." She laughed, a sinister sound that echoed in their ear drums.

While looking them over she noticed that one was missing but realized it would make little difference. It would seem her attack had stirred up nearby wild life and she was sure he would be appropriately _handled_.

"Kukuku...at least that pretender isn't here to bother us. It will give us time to..get to know one another.." Sasuki's eyes widened in anger as she retrieved a kunai, not taking kindly to the insult.

"How dare you insult Naruto in front of me.." Shino put a hand on her shoulder to try and reign her in, there was something seriously bothering him.

The Kusa ninja reached into her back pocket and retrieved an Earth scroll, making their eyes widen and focus on the objective they had been given. With a smile she held it up and moved it around as if teasing a cat with a ball of yarn.

"This Earth scroll is what you need..is it not?"

Shino froze, eyes wandering down to his pocket to see the scroll still stashed away. _How_ did she know?

"Let us make it the prize for this battle then.." With that she stretched her mouth and like a snake, devoured the scroll in one gulp.

This disturbing scene upset the two young genin who found themselves suddenly woefully unprepared for the standoff. Regardless of this person's power level, they were not right in the head. The Kusa shinobi didn't even need to taunt them as she was already in their head, propagating herself as their nightmare.

"Now then.." Staring them down she spread one eye lid open, forcing their attention.

They were overtaken with a very vivid vision of their future death at the hands of the person before them. A large weight slammed onto their shoulders and forced them to the ground, unable to shake the fear or even move an inch.

Disappointed the Kusa shinobi saw they were no longer cornered animals and now resembled cowering mice. Retrieving two kunai she sought to end the fight quickly.

"If this is all you can handle..it would seem this is the end." She approached the two slowly to draw out their coming demise.

_'Have..to..move..'_ Sasuki's hand twitched as her fear kept her paralyzed, unable to look away from their executioner.

Shino took a deep breath and began to focus, calling his Kikaichu to return. If his body was paralyzed then he would have to adapt to the situation accordingly.

He only hoped Sasuki was thinking the same. It would take all they had just to escape this new enemy, let alone fight him.

000

Naruto attempted to orient himself as the technique's wind wore off but failed to react quick enough to stop himself from hitting a tree. Shaking it to the roots the blonde focused chakra to the soles of his feet and oriented himself on the trunk, rubbing his head in obvious pain.

"Ow..where did all that wind come from?"

"_**Be careful..I sense trouble approaching!"**_

Heeding the warning Naruto kept his eyes on the surroundings and he was able to feel a slight vibration on the tree. It was as if something very large was making its way toward him, but at the same time it was so subtle it was hard to tell what the creature was.

It was out of nowhere that a large brown snake charged him on the tree and forced him to launch himself higher. Tree bark shattered as the serpent smashed head first into the spot where Naruto had once been, reorienting itself to face his new location. It wrapped itself around the tree and surged forward, surprising the blonde at its speed.

"Oh crap!"

Naruto leaped from the tree and just barely missed the creature's gaping maw, clamping down just a few inches from his head. Landing on an opposite tree the blonde reached into his back pocket for shuriken and kunai, launching a few while giving ground to the fast approaching snake. While most landed all they did was serve to annoy the creature into launching more heated attacks and Naruto feared he was wasting valuable time.

_'If this thing is here to distract me from helping Sasuki and Shino..I need to take it down quick!'_

"_**Then use my chakra!"**_ The Kyuubi ordered with a growl, annoyed the boy was only now realizing it. **_"Use it to protect your precious Sasuki.."_**

Naruto felt himself tempted as he knew how effective it was, but he remembered his family's fear to seeing him encased in the orange chakra. He remembered the looks he would receive from townsfolk, how they despised him for what he could become; a monster, he could not deny the bloodlust that flowed through him every time he took chakra from Kyuubi.

Glaring at the approaching beast the blonde made up his mind. Standing his ground he closed his eyes and when he opened them, his red sharingan activated in opposition to the approaching serpent.

_'No..I don't need your chakra Kyuubi. I'm going to use a technique I learned from the Forbidden Scroll..'_

The beast growled in anger but kept itself in reserve. At the very least the boy was making use of the techniques it worked so hard for him to memorize. Although it was frowned upon by the other shinobi he knew it would give his container an advantage, especially with the sharingan eyes used to copy them perfectly.

Remembering the hand signs Naruto began to build up chakra in his gut, keeping calm as the creature charged him on the same branch. Taking a deep breath the blonde bent his head back and launched the white hot flame forward to engulf the creature. Not since the Third Hokage had the technique been performed correctly, no one having the chakra nor control to hold the super hot flame for long.

"**Katon: Karyū Endan!**"

The wave of white flame engulfed the serpent right in front of the Uchiha, halting its advance and forcing it writhe around in pain. Naruto felt great pressure on him as he kept up the jutsu, realizing why it was in the forbidden text quickly. Nevertheless he continued to spew the flame as the snake began to disintegrate into ash, only stopping when there was little more than soot left.

Canceling the technique Naruto fell to one knee and held his chest, feeling out of breath. It was as difficult as referenced to in the scroll but he was still able to pull it off. Despite his position it gave him a little hope for the future to know his strength was increasing.

"_**Don't doddle unless you wish to see your friends destroyed!"**_

With those words Naruto awoke from his dreams of grandeur and launched himself in the direction he had come from. He didn't know why but he felt a rock forming in his stomach, pain and worry that seemed to echo from his friends.

Whatever was happening he would stop it..he had to.

000

"And this is how it ends.." Orochimaru launched the kunai at Sasuki and Shino, forcing them to play their cards.

Kikaichu swarmed over the bug user and the kunai passed harmlessly through them. Scattering the insects revealed that Shino had substituted himself and was now elsewhere, safe for the moment.

Sasuki stabbed herself in the leg with her kunai using the pain as a forced awakening. Rolling to the side and away from the attack she launched herself into the air and onto a low hanging tree branch. Removing the bloodied weapon from her leg, she knelt down to catch her breath and to try and calm herself.

_'That was too close..this person is **not** normal!'_

The Kusa ninja smirked and the Konoha shinobi were taken by surprise as a snake launched from the forest behind her, pursuing Sasuki through the nearby branches. Its large jaw enough to snap a tree in two the young girl found herself overcome by fear as she leaped from branch to branch trying to evade it.

Shino found himself having difficulty keeping up and was unable to protect her. He watched as she launched into the air a mere moment before the snake destroyed a branch in an attempt to eat her.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed launching half a dozen shuriken into its mouth, shredding its insides and making it fall limp on a nearby branch.

Sasuki reoriented herself on a nearby tree and took a deep breath watching the snake for any movement and momentarily forgetting about the Kusa shinobi.

Shino had lost track of their opponent until his insects warned him that there was something inside the snake. Focusing his eyes on it he cringed in disgust as the snake's skin moved around from the inside as something pushed its way through.

The Uchiha girl's eyes widened in unbridled fear as Orochimaru emerged from inside the snake unharmed. Playing with his tongue like a snake he threatened to devour her whole even from his distance.

"Your eyes match that of prey..good. To survive you can never look away from the predator."

The Kusa ninja launched kunai and shuriken at Sasuki forcing her higher up the tree and allowing him the time to jump to her location. Running up the trunk of the tree he was like a vanguard of her doom and her knees shook with fright. All her previous strength had been sapped and she knew herself outmatched.

_'Naruto..I need you here..help me!'_ She pleaded clutching her kunai as a lifeline, unable to move.

Mere moments before reaching her a hail of kunai and shuriken were launched from above, forcing Orochimaru to retreat in the face of a new arrival. Their eyes gravitated upward to see a very familiar Uchiha boy standing on a large branch, arms crossed and a defiant smile spread across his lips.

"Looks like I made it just in time."

Orochimaru scowled as he had hoped his pet would have kept him out of the way longer, even killing him wouldn't have been out of the question. His alone time with Sasuki was at an end. No matter, he thought, he would just have to break him in front of her.

Shino caught up and quickly read the situation, glad to see Naruto had arrived when he did. Free from fear he began to position his Kikaichu and launched them at the Kusa shinobi, forcing him to leap from branch to branch to escape. It bought them some time for Naruto to pick up Sasuki and get her away from the fight for a moment.

Quickly the blonde set her down against a tree trunk allowing her time to catch her breath and for him to assess the situation. It seemed their opponent was the Kusa shinobi from before and he had done something to frighten Sasuki. It almost unnerved him seeing her in that state as it was difficult to shake the girl from her usual attitude.

"Calm down Sasuki..everything will be alright." He assured her with a smile, something she could not return.

"Na..Naruto..we need to get out of here. He's too strong!" She grabbed his shirt, shaking him in an attempt to get him to listen.

Confused he placed his hand over hers and tried to loosen her grip but found it difficult to do so. She wasn't just scared, she was downright terrified. Her eyes darted left to right watching for the enemy and her legs wobbled so much he was afraid she might not be able to stand on her own.

"Sasuki..what happened to you?"

"Naruto, you need to hurry!"

The blonde looked over his shoulder and saw Shino struggling to control his bugs fast enough to keep up with Orochimaru. He jumped from branch to branch and slithered up the tree trunk to the Aburame, unable to be stopped. In a last ditch effort Shino ordered his Kikaichu to him and then sent them forward in a tidal wave to overwhelm the opponent.

Sensing no movement he let his guard down for a moment when Orochimaru appeared from beneath him and launched a fist into Shino's face. It sent him flying back and downward, shattering tree branches to slow his descent before coming to a stop against a lower branch out of their sight. Not moving, the Aburame was unconscious from the hit.

"Shino!" Naruto shouted unable to believe his teammate was taken down with a single hit.

Orochimaru landed on a nearby branch as Sasuki got into a crouch and eyed him with fear. Even with her sharingan activated she still could not follow his movements fully and knew they were at a terrible disadvantage. That conclusion left her with only one viable option to save her team; give up the scroll.

"Stop!" She cried out making the two fighters look at her. "We will give you the scroll if you leave us alone!"

The Kusa ninja smiled, bowing his head.

"A well contrived thought, in this situation it would seem to be the only option for you to survive." He looked back up and saw Naruto with a look of betrayal displayed across his features. "However, it would seem your team member does not agree."

Sasuki returned Naruto's glare with her own, he had no idea what he was facing. If this was her only way to protect them then she would do it without hesitation.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Naruto growled in disbelief that his sister was giving up.

"You have no idea what this enemy is! There is no way we can beat him like we are now, we will be destroyed! If Shino were-"

"It's thanks to Shino we have the ability to counter attack! We need to work together to destroy him." Naruto interrupted her in frustration trying to make her see.

"STOP IT AND JUST LISTEN TO ME!"

Annoyed with his idiocy and ignorance of the situation she raised her voice to him for the first time, practically screaming. Her reaction fell on deaf ears as Naruto turned away from her and faced their opponent, a glare settling on his features as he knew that that person was the culprit for Sasuki acting differently.

"I'm listening alright.." She calmed herself as she listened to him, not sure what he was trying to say. "And all I'm hearing is defeat and fear..I think someone needs a reminder of just who they are."

Sasuki couldn't believe her ears as she watched him reach for a kunai, getting into a ready stance.

"Naruto! Don't!"

"Let me refresh your memory on what being an Uchiha is all about!"

The blonde launched forward and created clones in midair, meeting the Kusa ninja in close combat. The clones were quickly defeated with a series of punches and kicks as their offense was sloppy leaving only the original blonde to contend with. Activating his sharingan Naruto weaved in and out of punches and kicks seeing the moves before they were done by Orochimaru.

Kneeling under a kick the blonde grabbed the bark for a hand hold and launched his legs forward in a kick forcing his opponent back. Going through hand signs he surprised Orochimaru by charging forward, not giving him a chance to prepare.

"**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!**"

Dozens of small fiery projectiles launched from his mouth and forced the snake to become semi-elastic to dodge them all at such a close range. A clone appeared at Orochimaru's side and took him by surprise, kicking him and launching him into the lower branches. The blonde leaped off the edge in pursuit as Sasuki could only watch and weakly call his name through her tears.

He was fighting for her, to protect her. She could never forgive herself if he got hurt because of her inability to fight.

It was then his words to her echoed in her mind and they sent a chill down her spine.

_'I will protect you with my life!'_

"No..Naruto..you can't..you can't die. You can't!"

000

The two shinobi launched their jutsu at one another, Orochimaru's mud collided with Naruto's fireball and forced them to break off as they landed on a tree branch. Grabbing a kunai Naruto charged forward but was taken by surprise as Orochimaru launched a kick that went one way but then bent in another direction. It sent him flying from the branch as the man bit his thumb and began going through hand signs.

"**Kuchiyose.**"

He slammed his hand onto the bark and from the smoke appeared another serpent, this one even larger than its previous brethren. With a smile he launched it at its target but not the one that was prepared for it.

000

Naruto landed on a branch below and looked up to see a new snake had been summoned. Grabbing another kunai for one in each hand he prepared to meet it in the air, launching forward. Instead he saw it arch up for a higher branch and his eyes quickly followed it to a frightening conclusion; it was headed for Sasuki!

"Dammit!" Naruto landed on a branch and then launched himself upward, knowing he would not make it in time.

_'Kyuubi, lend me some of your chakra!'_

With a sudden boost of speed the blonde launched himself into the air one more time in a desperate attempt to cut off the serpent before it could hit the vulnerable Sasuki.

000

The Uchiha girl had watched the short but intense fight between her brother and the Kusa shinobi from the higher branch, trying to gather what strength she could to move. Finally able to stand on her own, her legs locked again as she saw the snake make its way toward her. Their eyes locked she once again remembered her fear and could not move.

She watched as its head came barreling toward her, preparing to smash into her. Unable or unwilling to watch she closed her eyes and kept them shut waiting for the inevitable hit. When none came, she slowly opened her black orbs to see a heavily breathing Naruto mere inches from her, both kunai stabbed deep into the snake's skull. The blonde got between her and the serpent and was able to use a combination of his chakra and Kyuubi's to stop its inertia at the branch at the cost of much of his energy.

Slowly he looked up and revealed his sharingan to her, some blood dripping from his mouth from internal wounds. Unable to say anything Sasuki's lip quivered in shock, he had saved her. Even after she said it was impossible Naruto had done it.

"Sasuki..are you OK?" He asked with somewhat deep tone, the aftereffects of Kyuubi's chakra.

"Naruto.." She squeaked out unable to think of more to say.

Orochimaru landed on their branch and charged forward turning Naruto's attention away from his beloved sister. Detaching himself from the snake he launched forward and engaged Orochimaru in close combat. Under much fatigue, the blonde was hard pressed to keep up with the Sannin who had only been playing with him previously.

_'To truly finish him I suppose I will have to seal away that nasty chakra.'_

Orochimaru kicked Naruto in the stomach and forced him back to where Sasuki was. The blonde stumbled but got back up in a broken Uchiha stance, not willing to let him near her while he was drawing breath. The snake put one arm behind his back and gathered chakra for the seal while Naruto charged forward in an attempt to stop him before he was ready.

"Naruto please stop!" Sasuki shouted, he had already done too much for her.

_'Please..please don't die for me..'_

"I..won't let..you near her!" He shouted as Orochimaru smirked, sending his glowing hand forward for the Uchiha's stomach.

"It's over for you brat!" Naruto felt all the air leave his lungs and blackness overtake him as the pain from sealing was too great for his body to handle.

With a violent kick he was sent flying off into the darkness.

"NARUTO!" Sasuki screamed, trying to reach out for him only to realize he was gone.

Her eyes turned back to Orochimaru who began to approach her, his sickening smile riled up locked away anger that flooded her body.

"Now that the nuisance is out of the way-" Orochimaru was cut off as the girl suddenly disappeared and then sent a bone shattering punch to his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

Not wasting time she sent an equally powerful kick to his head that sent him flying back into the tree trunk. Her sharingan ablaze and vengeful tears flowing from her eyes, her glare sent chills down the Sannin's spine.

"_I'll kill you._.I WILL KILL YOU FOR THAT!"

000

Naruto's body continued to drop at an alarming rate through the forest, deep into the lower branches. It was only when a kunai was thrown and pegged his shirt to a tree did he finally stop. A wounded Shino found the strength to stand and saw that he had successfully saved his teammate from what would have been a lethal drop. It was then that he knew he had to go and help Sasuki finish the fight or else it would not matter whether or not Naruto's death was staved off by a few minutes.

_'I need to hurry!'_

He launched himself up the trees even with some difficulty in his legs from the fall he took. Above him he could see distant forms of light and far off sounds of battle and knew he had to hurry. It was a good sign to see Sasuki was fighting again but it would matter little if they could not figure out a way to defeat or disable their opponent.

Sending his kikaichu in first he hoped they would at least do some good as he made his way back up to the top branches. A shower of tree bark and wood nearly hit him and he figured the battle was getting worse, making him push himself harder to leap from tree to tree.

More fire and wood later and many of his insects' burned carcasses began to drop from above, signifying their defeat. Ignoring the small feeling of shame that they were not able to help Sasuki he jumped again and finally arrived within visual distance of the fight.

Wires had wrapped around the Kusa shinobi to tie him to the tree, keeping him immobile for Sasuki's Katon attack. Holding the ends to said wires in her mouth she went through the proper hand signs and launched the tendrils of fire straight at the central point of attack. Knowing he would only get in her way Shino kept his distance and allowed her to finish the attack, trying to catch his breath at the same time as analyze the fight.

A scream soon echoed the forest as the flames reached their zenith, hitting a crescendo as Sasuki intensified the attack fueled with all her anger and pain. As her chakra ran dry the girl released the wires and slowly the battlefield went quiet. Their eyes rested on the unmoving form of the Kusa shinobi in hope that it was finally over.

Their inner fears were realized when an eye opened from what appeared to be flayed skin. They soon realized it was a second layer, the real skin of the monster was snow white with yellow piercing eyes set on the young Uchiha. Although shocked the girl let out a roar and charged forward, taking her teammate by surprise.

"Sasuki NO!" He launched himself forward but flinched in pain, unable to make the jump properly.

The wires fell from Orochimaru's body allowing him to free his neck and launch it forward toward the girl, intent on giving her a reward for her great performance. Unaware of the danger posed Sasuki readied a fist to hit the approaching head, trying to use her sharingan to track it expecting a headbutt.

Shino landed on the branch and ran forward to try and stop her even though he knew it was too late. The Sannin latched himself onto the girl's neck, easily avoiding her attack thanks to her fatigue. She screamed in pain as the man began to transfer blood and chakra into her body, even as Shino desperately charged them with his remaining Kikaichu to try and stop whatever he was doing.

Orochimaru detached himself from her, whispering a few words in her ear before retreating to his body and disappearing into the bark.

Shino ran up behind Sasuki and leaned down to help her when she began to scream again, this time even louder and in serious pain. He watched helplessly as some sort of mark appeared on her neck from where Orochimaru had bit her. Whatever it was it was clear that the girl was not in a healthy state as she fell to her knees, clutching her neck in an attempt to keep the pain from getting worse.

The man's words continued to play in her head as unconsciousness fell over her. Unable to forget, those words would haunt her for many years to come.

_'You **will** come to me for power Sasuki-chan..it is impossible to escape from your destiny.'_

"Sasuki!" Shino knelt down to check her pulse after she collapsed, fearing the worst.

A small sigh of relief came over him after realizing she was only unconscious, but that was when his mind caught up with him. He had failed the squad, he was the first to go down and was unable to support Naruto when he needed him the most. His hand brushed Sasuki's wound, even she had been lost because of his weakness.

Gathering her into his arms, he slowly made his way back down to Naruto. He needed to find a safe place to nurse them back to health..and reflect on his failures.

_'Father..Naruto..Sasuki..' _

As the young Aburame leaped from branch to branch, he felt an emptiness settle in his gut. It was a feeling he had not felt before, it was shame.

_'I have failed you.'_

000

And so the mystery of whether or not Sasuki would receive the cursed mark or not has been confirmed. For some this may lead to some radical thoughts as far as what may happen in the upcoming chapters and arcs, and how this will affect our young Sasuki's thoughts and actions.

Poor Naruto, for all his effort to protect Sasuki he was unable to fulfill his promise. He would rather have died than let Orochimaru touch her, it will be tough to see him react when (if?) he finds out what happened while he was out.

And what of Shino? Although he did his best to keep Orochimaru occupied he was overwhelmed by the Sannin's speed and defeated early in battle. Seeing his teammates fall in front of him has really sapped the confident and cool demeanor the Aburame generally holds. Is he really at fault as he thinks he is? How will he redeem himself in the future?

All these answers will be found in the next and upcoming chapters of _Blonde Uchiha_ where the Oto squad preys on a weakened Team 7. Will they find a cornered group of mice to pulverize or will they wake up something that could only come from their nightmares?

Find out with the next update as I see you next in _Namikaze Assassin_!

Review!


	15. Triumph with Trouble Brewing

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 15

Triumph, Trouble Brewing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now genin while Mikoto has returned to active duty as a Leaf Jounin.

A future disclaimer in the response to many angry reviewers from last chapter:

**This story is, and always has been planned to be written around the general manga plot.**

Some have assumed this story was going to go in a radical new direction because of Naruto being an Uchiha, Sasuke being a girl, Mikoto being alive etc etc. That is never how my story was planned to be written. I have always wanted to explore the idea of Naruto, someone that I compare to a Senju in ideals, mixing with the hot blooded Uchiha to form an interesting balance. I wanted to do this in a familiar setting and so chose to stay within the general manga plot line, using the same arcs, events, and characters.

Now this story is far from a carbon copy as that would imply a person sits down and reads word for word the manga. This story gets its uniqueness from the new characters, situations, and chapters I come up with that adapt around the idea of Naruto Uchiha. That's what you all came here to see or should have come here to see, Naruto Uchiha paired with a female Sasuke and Mikoto.

Don't get me wrong and think I am totally against those very opinionated people leaving reviews and messages that call the story a carbon copy or believe I'm getting off my original track. It just shows they really had their own vision of the story and do not feel as I am conveying it the way they expected it to go. The thing is, is that I **am writing the story I want to tell**, whether it appeals to you or not is totally on you to decide.

Thanks for everyone else supporting the story, regardless of the ups and downs. I can't wait to progress the storyline through Part I and onward to Part II.

If you haven't already, go check my profile and see the bolded text near the links. It gives details to find my deviant art account which I have favorited and organized the pictures for my three current stories into categories. It's one way of getting around the links being taken down as I know people like seeing pictures. Just keep in mind none of them are mine, all credit goes to the artists of each one.

* * *

_Konohagakure_

_Forest of Death_

* * *

Sasuki twisted in her sleep as pain spread from her neck to her toes. The young girl had been tossing and turning since Shino had gotten her and Naruto to the uprooted tree, clearly in some sort of terrible nightmare. After their encounter with Orochimaru, no one could blame her for remaining unconscious.

Dutifully staying by his wounded teammates' side, Shino reapplied cold rags to their foreheads as he prayed they would awaken soon. Not only could they not proceed with the exam with them incapacitated, an attack would yield a potential three on one disadvantage for the Aburame. The prospect was not new to him as he had prepared the clearing in which they were camped in should someone attempt an attack while his teammates remained unconscious.

_'They will not get the better of me again, I promise.'_

Looking to his teammates he still felt like a failure to them. What he wouldn't give to replace himself as the unconscious one, but he knew it was foolhardy to focus on the past. For now he had to remain strong for the team and remember Kakashi's wisdom.

_'Teamwork, never abandon your teammates even if it means failing the mission...'_

It had been relatively quiet since the morning rays began to poke through the thick forest canopy. What few birds there were chirped salutations and the sounds of conflict had all gravitated farther and farther away as teams neared the tower. With luck it meant they were safe to recover their strength, but it was not long before patrolling kikaichu came across new chakra signatures.

Three shinobi rapidly approached their warren from the treetops evading the more obvious wire traps set by the bug user. As they approached a critical vantage point to look over the field, Shino got up from his kneeling position and slowly exited their safe haven in a challenging stance. If they were expecting to catch him by surprise they were dead wrong.

Dosu pushed some branches out of the way and observed the lone shinobi waiting for them to show themselves. He silently complimented the leaf shinobi and suspected he was a sensor of some sort. With that in mind he made a few hand signals to Kin and Zaku to enter from different angles to surround the hideout. If any of the leaf inside were awake and hiding, they would catch them.

Zaku leaped down and took the center, smiling deviously at his soon to be dead enemy. It was time to rack up his first chunin exam kill and it looked like the shades guy would be the first. Little did he know that Shino's attention was more focused on Kin and Dosu, his eyes shifting left and right as his kikaichu clicked their mandibles to reveal their positions.

"Oi, Konoha! I'm your opponent so don't even think about running."

Shino remained in the middle of the clearing and continued to ignore the hotheaded youth. Annoyed, Zaku brought his arms up and began to charge his wind for a devastating attack. He would take out all three in one hit, he thought with a smirk.

Dosu growled, if their opponent was trying to force Zaku into attacking first he was doing a good job. He began to wonder if he should have taken the center when he saw that the leaf still made no motion as if to dodge. Suspecting something he signaled Kin to attack with Zaku, they would hit him from the sides should Zaku fail.

"Take this you stuck up bastard! **Zankūkyokuha!**"

Dosu and Kin launched from the trees with kunai ready to strike at Shino's sides. A wet explosion and scream forced their eyes on Zaku to see a not so pretty sight; slowly but surely kikaichu had been building up in the arms and disrupted the air flow, reversing the powerful attack on his own body. Flesh and bone splattered on the ground as the teen dropped to his knees in unbearable pain and shock.

_'Zaku!'_

Kin widened her eyes in concern and fear before she sensed an opponent on her opposite side. Another Shino had launched from the bushes that surrounded the clearing, intent on grappling the girl. Taken by surprise she was just able to grab the Aburame's wrists but was forced down to the ground and kikaichu began to swarm over her body.

Dosu watched it all as the girl screamed in fear, knowing that there was a chance she may not survive the attack. Intent on finishing the fight Dosu kept on course with his kunai prepared with the original Shino who still remained in the middle of the clearing.

At the last possible second Shino knelt and grabbed Dosu's outstretched arm, slapping an explosive tag on the melody instrument before flipping himself into the air. Before Dosu could latch out and grab him he sent a bone shattering kick to the bandaged youth's face and forced him into the dirt. As fast as his attack began Shino disappeared into the dark forest that surrounded the now bloody battlefield.

Still recovering to the hit on his head Dosu heard the sizzling sound and quickly saw the tag on his arm. Knowing that he was dead if he hesitated he pressed a button on the wooden construct and forced it to fall to the ground that let him retreat. The explosion rocked the ground and created smoke, obscuring his view of Zaku and Kin who were still under attack.

His retreat forced his foot to break a tripwire and dozens of kunai launched at the sound ninja, forcing him to evade in another direction. Just as Shino expected he retreated to the center of the clearing and it allowed him to play his next card; man eater leeches.

Dozens of the pink, slimy creatures fell from the treetops as Shino summoned them to the ground. Kikaichu scattered over Kin's incapacitated body to allow a few leeches room to feed. Zaku had already collapsed and was a sitting duck to a few more that found his broken arms perfect appetizers. The leader fared little better, slicing a few away with a kunai and dodging a few more, he was slowly being overwhelmed.

_'We have not come so far to fail now!'_

Dropping a smoke bomb to the ground the Oto ninja retreated under the cover of purple smoke. Not expecting him to have stamina remaining Shino remained in his hiding place and coordinated his insects to find and catch the rogue shinobi.

"I'm up here Aburame!"

Kunai and shuriken shredded the vegetation below the trees where Dosu took refuge. He had made note of Shino's escape even as he was hit with the stunning kick and was now goading him into an attack. A swarm of bugs was his answer as he began to dodge and jump away from the battlefield, making Shino give chase to ensure the battle finished.

His calculations for the ambush were _almost_ perfect. The attacks were timed perfectly and had just the debilitating effect the leaf shinobi needed to even the odds. What he could not predict was Zaku's stubborn tenacity to stay awake even after the pain inflicted on him.

With the smoke covering his approach, the wounded boy shuffled forward with two limp arms at his side. Ignoring his pale teammate lying a few yards over he continued toward his target with an intense fixation on inflicting as much pain as possible. It was only right to pay them back for his arms, right?

"Bastard..I'm gonna.." With a roar he ran forward and slammed his back against the tree, splattering the final leech's remains along with much of Zaku's blood everywhere around.

Entering the dug up tree he came across two similarly dressed genin, both unconscious. As he barely attention when Dosu relayed Orochimaru's orders he had to take a moment to remember which one was their target. It was then that he distinctly remember them referring to the person as a 'she', and realized the blonde was not their lord's concern.

With unbridled fury Zaku began to kick and stomp Naruto in the chest and face, quickly bruising and internally damaging him. It was all the more dangerous that Kyuubi's chakra had been sealed and made it next to impossible to mitigate or heal the wounds. Throughout the assault Naruto remained blissfully unaware, save for a pained look taking over his face.

"Yeah, yeah! Take this..you piece..of shit!" The cruel shinobi would say between breaths, the kicking taking what little stamina he had left.

It was not long into the attack that he had the distinct feeling he was being watched. Ignoring it as it was probably Dosu returning, he continued to kick the blonde until the nape of his neck was roughly grabbed. Growling he turned to greet the person who was also about to earn a kick.

"Look Dosu I'm fuckin-"

"**Die!"**

Zaku now saw that the girl was no longer laying on the ground sleeping but was now standing, but her face was different. A dark tattoo had spread across the left side of her body, revealing too late to him that she had been gifted with a curse mark. The power she used to throw him back outside was unreal and he painfully skid along the grass and dirt until he came to a stop against a tree.

Sasuki slowly stepped out into the light and observed her body, surprised by her own strength. Turning her attention back to the dead man that had been hurting _her_ Naruto, she felt the power rise again with her emotions.

_**'Kill him..kill him for what he did.'**_ A voice whispered in her head, it appealed to her hotheaded emotions and forced her hand.

"**No one touches him..no one!"** She launched forward and reappeared in front of Zaku, kicking him in the stomach and forcing him to double over in pain.

"Ahhhh!" He was given no time to recover as he was picked up again and slammed face first into the ground.

Grabbing hold of one leg, Sasuki began to bend it back with all her might. In a combination of fear and excruciating pain Zaku screamed at the top of his lungs, begging her to stop. The other two combatants returned to the field, one unconscious with the other lightly panting.

Shino dropped Dosu onto the ground and ran over to the battle wondering if perhaps Sasuki had awakened. What he saw horrified him; the Uchiha girl had the Oto shinobi's one leg bent like a pretzel and was beginning to do the same to the other one. Already unconscious from shock Zaku could do nothing as the curse mark continued to influence Sasuki into committing such a disgusting act.

"Sasuki, stop!" Her eyes wandered to Shino, hesitating for a moment.

"**He hurt Naruto..it's his turn!"**

The Aburame looked over at Naruto and saw him roughed up but alive. Even if it was like that he knew Naruto wouldn't want to see his sister like that.

"We won Sasuki, let him go and calm down!"

The girl hesitated for a moment but scowled, beginning to bend the leg again. A sickening crack could be heard as the bone broke under the immense pressure put on it.

_'This is what he gets for harming Naruto..never again..'_

"Sasuki, Naruto wouldn't want this. This isn't you!"

She stopped again as her brain registered Shino's words. Taking a few steps back she looked at Zaku and his mangled body and then to her blood drenched hands that began to shake. The gravity of her actions finally reached her and she fell to her knees to scream in agony and disgust.

Sighing, Shino released the bugs that had entangled Kin and re-purposed them to moving her and her teammates to somewhere far from there. Their deaths were not necessary to victory especially after what had happened to Zaku. He patted his jacket pocket with the two scrolls and was content for a moment knowing that they had scored a real victory that could let them move to the next exam.

He saw Sasuki collapse and the strange mark recede allowing him to approach her and return the poor girl to bed. Whatever the Kusa shinobi had given her it was clear it did not put her in the right state of mind during its activation. They would have to watch her closely and alert the proper authorities when they reached the tower so they could hopefully treat her.

Naruto shifted in his sleep and the Aburame hoped that he would awaken soon. Their team had much to do in a little amount of time.

* * *

Naruto stirred, his eyes fluttering open to reveal tired blue orbs. Thoughts flooding through him he remembered his fight with Orochimaru and quickly tried to sit up only to flinch and hold his ribs in pain. He remembered fighting against the Kusa shinobi and being struck by an attack on his stomach that knocked him unconscious.

"_**Naruto.."**_

A faint voice echoed in the back of his head. It was difficult to hear as if it was distorted or blocked by some unseen force, again it repeated in an annoyed tone.

"_**Naruto! Check your chakra.."**_

Confused the blonde tried to gather chakra and found it difficult to do so. It was as if trying to grab an eel in water, it was too slippery. It was then he realized the Kusa shinobi had not just knocked him out but had disturbed his chakra flow.

Naruto formed the ram hand sign and prepared to disturb his own chakra flow. If the attack was like a genjutsu it would come undone.

"Kai!"

Nothing happened and his chakra felt no different afterward. It was then that the faint voice of Kyuubi revealed the true opposition.

"_**It is a Five Element Seal, not so easy to remove. You have only begun to dabble in the arts of sealing but if we want to have a chance we need your chakra back. I will walk you through.."**_

Listening to Kyuubi, the blonde brought his hand up and began to focus his chakra on each finger. It was no simple task but slowly Naruto gathered each fingertip with chakra that could counteract the seal placed on him. Gently lifting up his shirt he quickly brought the glowing hand onto his stomach and screamed in pain as the chakra attempted to cancel out the foreign seal.

"Ahhh!"

Kyuubi growled and knew it would fail as the boy could not maintain the chakra flow necessary. Even if the boy could do it his body was in no position to take the kind of pain it would inflict.

"Naruto!"

Hearing his roar riddled with pain Sasuki and Shino entered from the outside of the shelter, his sister's eyes wide in apprehension. Canceling the technique Naruto collapsed into her arms and let the warmth of her chest calm his pain. Her fear settling down after seeing him up and about, the girl quickly became annoyed even as she gently stroked the side of his head.

"Baka.." She scolded in a quiet voice, fear still lingering in her tone. "You are still hurt from the fight, take it easy."

"Sorry Sasuki..I couldn't protect you."

She just shook her head and smiled.

"I'm fine, look!"

He did look her over and could not see any damage that had befallen her. It made him let go of the tension gathering in his shoulders and just rest easy in his sister's hold.

Shino watched from afar and noted that she was not revealing the mark she had garnered from the fight. Regardless of her wish to comfort and shield Naruto from mental anguish, it was her duty to let her teammate know something as dangerous as that. He did not think twice about letting Kakashi know because he knew even if Sasuki disagreed it was necessary.

"I don't mean to break up your reunion, but we should get ready to move. We have stayed in this area long enough I think." Sasuki turned and glared at Shino, holding her brother close in a protective manner.

"Naruto is not in a condition to move around, let alone fight!"

Gently the blonde pushed her away and got onto his own two feet, surprising Sasuki but only receiving a respectful nod from Shino. He appreciated her concern but it would take more than that to keep him from slowing the rest of them down.

"Thanks Sasuki, but I'm fine. If we stay any longer another team may stumble across us and then we would be in even more trouble."

Still concerned the girl got back up and returned outside with Shino and Naruto trailing behind. With a moment to talk the two boys quickly exchanged condolences.

"Shino, are you ok? I saw you get hit bad in the last fight.."

The Aburame just shrugged, anything he had was little in comparison to Naruto and Sasuki.

"I'm fine, I was more worried about you and your sister. You were both unconscious for a while.."

Naruto's eyes widened and he stopped Shino in his tracks, worry lacing his features.

"Sasuki was unconscious? What happened after I was knocked out?"

Shino's eyes drifted to the girl who was at the edge of the clearing. Her eyes were glazed over and she seemed to be remembering the damage she did to Zaku, staring at the ground where his legs were broken. Dried blood and bits of bone still covered the ground making it clear what a horrendous fight it had been, surprisingly the blonde paid it little attention and was more worried about Sasuki.

"The Kusa shinobi faked being defeated and knocked her unconscious at the end of the fight. He didn't take anything and just left but.." His eyes wandered back to Sasuki who was beginning to return, her eyes set on him.

"But what Shino?" Naruto asked, confused.

"She was bitten by-"

"A snake, it was just a small one. Don't worry about it Naruto." The girl quickly interrupted after picking up on the conversation, glaring at Shino who kept his cool.

He did not agree with her plan to ignore the seal and lie to Naruto, but he knew with her around he could not reveal the truth. Still confused the blonde merely nodded and looked around finally noticing the blood. Figuring it was better not to know he turned back to Shino who was ignoring Sasuki's hidden signals to be quiet.

"Anyway, I was able to obtain the other scroll while you two were asleep. For now I think we should split up and scout the area for other teams so that we can avoid them later."

Naruto heard the news and smiled, patting his teammate on the back which made Shino shift somewhat uncomfortably. Even though he appreciated the gesture he was still not used to such personal contact.

"Nice one Shino!"

The bug user merely nodded and pointed in a direction that led to even more forest.

"In the distance I scouted a river which runs through the entire course. If we follow it, we will eventually arrive at the tower. That is where we will rendezvous after scouting the area."

Sasuki shrugged her shoulders. They had been on the sidelines long enough for her tastes, it was time for Team 7 to get back into the fight.

"Well then let's get moving!"

The three quickly went their own separate ways in their search for other teams. Although it was unlikely that any remained in their area after so much time had passed they had to assume there was at least one group of stragglers. After all the enemies they had encountered in their short stay in the woods it was likely there were even more lurking nearby.

* * *

"Oh no! This is not good!"

A red head stumbled through the forest fleeing from a gargantuan monster. Holding her team's scroll tightly to her chest she knew it was a dangerous idea to go off alone for water! No sooner had she stopped to fill their canteens did the largest bear she had ever seen emerge from the river and give chase. Frightened she attempted to escape into the forest but found that she was still being pursued.

Rounding another tree she tripped over the man sized root and fell to the ground. With her glasses knocked loose she found herself disoriented. Desperately she tried to find them as she heard the roar of the beast from behind her. It stood in front of her now as she could tell from the large brown blur to her right.

_'Crap, I'm so dead. I don't want to die like this!'_

"Arrrrr!"

Jumping in surprise she heard the animal yelp just as she picked up her glasses. She looked up to see the animal had been brought down in one hit by another shinobi, he stood on top of the bear. Looking down upon her his eyes wandered to her scroll that lay tightly gripped in her free hand. Fearing he was there to fight Karin could only stay still in hopes he would stay his hand.

When he smiled, she immediately felt relief wash over her and allowed herself to relax. It was then that she noticed beneath his handsome blonde hair and cute whiskers what a strong chakra presence he had. A blush overcame her as the warmth inside of him threatened to submerge her entire body in ecstasy.

"Looks like you have an earth scroll, so we don't need to fight one another." Naruto smiled at her one she was unable to return, too mystified by her own thoughts.

When he was about to jump away and return to the others, his side erupted in pain. Forced to drop to the ground he rolled painfully through the grass and came to a stop a few feet away from her. Now on her feet Karin ran over to him and looked him over, noticing he was quite well bruised from some fight.

"How are you even moving?" She asked out loud only to receive a grunt in pain from the blonde.

Thinking quickly she helped him to his knee and offered her arm. Puzzled he looked at her with a questioning gaze, one she returned with a bashful smile.

"I know we are supposed to be enemies but..you saved me, now I can save you. My chakra can heal you, just bite my arm."

Naruto was immediately taken aback by her offer, not only because she was on a different team but what she asked him to do. Bite her? Wouldn't that hurt her? No, he couldn't do something like that.

"No, I'll be fine.." He tried to stand only to feel more pain and drop back to one knee.

"Please..it won't hurt me."

Hesitantly the blonde brought his face up to her arm. He faintly noticed the smell of strawberries before opening his maw and slowly biting down on her skin. At first he wondered if he had bit hard enough as she did not say anything but as he clenched his jaw she moaned and a green chakra began to form around his body. He felt the wounds slowly go away which were replaced by a renewed strength he had not felt since entering the forest.

Karin used her free hand to steady herself on the dirt as he released her from his grip. Now exhausted she watched him stand up without pain and was glad she could return the favor. She had never gotten used to the feeling of using her chakra like that, but she knew she enjoyed it more than the boy would ever know.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked in concern as she did not get up with him, instead remaining on the ground to pant.

"Yes..I just need a moment to rest."

Naruto didn't feel comfortable leaving her there but he knew he should return soon lest his sister worry. Before he left though he wanted to ask one last thing.

"What is your name?"

Karin looked up and was somewhat surprised he was interested. Feeling a bit better she stood on her own two feet a little ways away from him, wondering how she should respond. Seeing no harm in telling him her name she did not make him wait long for an answer.

"Karin. My name is Karin."

He smiled, a smile that could make any girl's heart melt. It was one that would be ingrained in her memory for some time.

"Well Karin-chan, I want you to remember my name. Naruto Uchiha, the future Hokage! If you ever need anything you come let me know, I owe you for this."

Before she could respond he leaped away in the direction of the tower. It was then she clearly saw the Uchiha symbol on his back and realized he had not been joking. She had not been aware that there was a male Uchiha still left. Orochimaru had only spoken about a female..

With her leader in mind the girl started to make her way back to the rest of her squad so she could continue her own mission. That boy was a nice distraction and she wouldn't mind seeing him again sometime in the future, Hokage or no.

_'Konoha has some cute boys after all.'_

* * *

_Many Hours Later_

_Forest of Death_

_Central Tower_

* * *

They had finally arrived. After what felt like weeks in the forest the three genin could finally count themselves one step closer to becoming Chunin. Naruto and Sasuki walked together toward the meeting room where they had been ordered to go by Iruka, their old teacher who had been given the task of being their information giver.

Shino lagged behind as his thoughts continued to nag him about Sasuki. How would he tell Naruto or Kakashi the news? Would the female Uchiha even give him the chance?

His thoughts were interrupted when Naruto stopped walking. Hands on his stomach he quickly excused himself to find the bathroom leaving Shino and Sasuki to continue on their own. The uneasiness between teammates was clear as their differing opinions clashed in silence.

They soon found themselves in a large amphitheater with the other assembled genin. It was relatively quiet and so the two quickly entered their own single file line with the others in equal silence. Most other genin seemed interested in them being there, but the Jonin standing with the Hokage showed no signs of surprise. Kakashi however noticed his own student missing and wondered where Naruto wandered off to.

_'Probably nothing..'_

He was unable shake the feeling since arriving at the tower that something unexpected had happened with his team. Even now his fears were stoked by the eerie quiet between Sasuki and Shino, not even offering one another a glance. His only hope was to wait for Naruto to come in and hopefully lighten the mood between them.

Meanwhile the Uchiha boy had wandered off to an abandoned meeting room for much needed privacy.

* * *

"_**What are you doing boy?"**_

Naruto grabbed his right arm at the elbow with his left, steadying it. With renewed concentration he began to focus chakra on each fingertip just as Kyuubi described.

"You said it yourself Kyuubi.." He began to squint and sweat from the taxing seal technique, nevertheless continuing. "We won't stand a chance without my chakra..and I'm tired of being the weak link after our last fight."

Kyuubi was somewhat surprised by his determination after the pain he went through on the last attempt. He quickly began to grin though and knew that stubborn determination was one of the reasons the tailed beast had begun to take a liking to the boy even if he wouldn't admit to it. Eager to have his chakra unlocked again Kyuubi coached the boy as each finger began to light up with chakra.

"_**Focus on each fingertip, visualize the chakra and shape it equally over your hand. If done correctly it should only take a few seconds to apply on your stomach."**_

"Guh..dammit, this is hard."

As he felt the chakra stabilize he wasted no time in slamming his open palm into his stomach, barely holding back the cry of pain he was hit with. The chakra disappeared from his fingers and he slowly began to stand, recovering from being without air in his lungs from the hit.

"_**How do you feel?"**_ Kyuubi asked wondering if he could feel the effects.

Naruto smiled as the beast within him did.

"I'm back to one hundred percent."

"_**Good, then get moving. We don't want to miss the first match."**_

Naruto quickly left the room and navigated his way back to where he had parted with the other two. With a bit of work he was able to find his way into the large arena-like room and headed over to his squad's line.

Meanwhile, Sasuki and Shino were in the middle of a bitter argument.

* * *

"We need to tell the proctor."

"_No_, we don't Shino. Just shut up and stay out of it!"

Undeterred by her aggressive attempt at making him back down, the Aburame continued to try and talk sense into her. Even then, he realized it was a losing battle.

"At least tell Naruto, he has the right to know."

Sasuki narrowed her eyes as he struck a close nerve with the girl. After seeing her brother almost die fighting Orochimaru, she was not about to give him another reason to try and protect her. The less he knew the better.

"If Naruto finds out he will just get frustrated with himself and get angry. Then he might make a mistake that could cost him the chance to move on to the next exam. I can tell him when this is over."

"Delaying will only make him feel worse Sasuki. He will think you do not trust him. Why? Because that is what family is about."

She glared at him and pressed her finger into his jacket accusingly.

"What would you know about something like that? You don't know our relationship at all."

Shino shook his head.

"You are right, I don't know. But I do know how Naruto feels about you and this is wrong."

Over his shoulder she saw Naruto coming and quickly lost her anger to avoid his questions. Noticing her gaze Shino turned as well realizing that she was going to remain quiet now.

The blonde waved at his teammates before taking the first spot in their file, looking at the Hokage and the other Jonin assembled. Smiling he was so happy they made it in one piece to the next exam.

It wasn't long before the Hokage began his lengthy introduction to the gathered genin. In that time the genin took that time to familiarize themselves with those who they would be going up against. Shino was surprised to see the Oto ninja had made it to the finals; Zaku's legs had somehow been saved while his arms were resigned to casts. It also didn't explain how they not only recovered from losing their scroll but also got another one.

_'That shouldn't be possible, it's almost as if someone helped them..'_

Sasuki continued to bite back pain, holding her neck made it somewhat obvious the source of her discomfort. Luckily Naruto remained facing forward and Shino stayed quiet. She could feel eyes on her and could see Kakashi eying her and knew Shino was as well. Why couldn't they leave her alone? Couldn't they see she was not any more happy about the situation than they were?

_'I can't let Naruto find out..no matter what.'_

Soon the proctor arrived in front of the Hokage and asked to be allowed to introduce the exam. When granted he turned to face the genin and soon coughed into his hand. It was clear the proctor was not healthy but still he pressed on.

"Hello, I am the proctor of the Third Exam. My name is Hayate Gekko." Another cough after his introduction, he quickly got into explaining the purpose behind the test.

"In this exam you will be pitted against a randomly selected opponent, one on one. Any technique or tool is allowed and the fight will continue until one is incapable of fighting. Because of your current numbers though, we will need to hold preliminary matches to cut down the amount of participants."

A few raised their voice in argument over this, especially TenTen.

"So you are saying after working so hard to get here, none of us are eligible for competing to be Chunin?"

"As we will be holding the primary matches in the Arena with foreign delegates, they must not take up too much of the day. With the amount of genin here, it could easily take an entire day where we only have a part of the afternoon. Just consider this a way to eliminate your competition before preparing for the final fight. Now.."

Coughing, he gestured to Anko who spoke into her mic.

"The screen on the wall behind me will display the names of those who are to compete next. The rest of you will spectate from the balconies on either side of this room as the two genin remain here. Now then, we will begin the process."

Eyes were on the screen as names were cycled through too quickly for most of them to pick up on. After a few moments two names remained on the screen, dictating the first match of the preliminaries. Eyes set on the two who were selected.

Sasuki smirked upon seeing the result but gritted her teeth in pain. She knew it would be hard to compete with the mark bothering her, but she had to try. They had come too far to give up so easily and she was not a person to give up in a fight she knew she could win. Whoever Yoroi was, she would beat him and prove the cursed mark was nothing but an annoyance.

Yoroi looked over toward her and noticed her pain. Smiling, he knew Orochimaru had gotten to her and thought it would be an easy victory.

_'That curse mark hurt huh? This will be quick.'_

Naruto turned around and smiled at the girl who was able to return it. He had every confidence that if they could survive an encounter with Orochimaru then she could beat another genin.

"Good luck Sasuki, I'll be watching."

"Thanks Naruto, I will win for sure." As soon as he headed past her she again let her face reveal the pain afflicting her.

Shino said nothing at first as he turned to leave but he hesitated. Regardless of how he felt about her actions she was still his teammate.

"Good luck Sasuki. Now isn't the time to lose."

Surprised he said anything, Sasuki just kept staring at her opponent but smirked.

"Yeah, it really isn't."

Kakashi walked by her but stopped before passing.

"Don't use your chakra Sasuki. It will activate that seal and this match will be over before it begins."

She looked surprised for a moment but resumed her calm facade. It was little surprise the Jonin could figure something was amiss after her heated argument with Shino.

"You knew?"

"That seal is affecting your chakra, if you let it take over it could kill you and endanger everyone here. I'll step in before it gets to that point, so good luck."

"I know that."

Sasuki responded as he walked off to join the rest of the team on the balcony leaving her alone with the proctor and her opponent. Without her sharingan and jutsu, this fight had already been decided from the start. The pain would affect her movement and taijutsu as well putting her at a significant disadvantage.

_'I'm really not in a good spot..'_

"Are the two fighters ready?"

"Sure."

"I'm ready."

Looking between the two Hayate could see both were determined to win. With his arm between them he was ready to signal the first match to begin.

"Then if you are ready, begin!"

As soon as the proctor leaped back Yoroi launched forward, his palm glowing with chakra. Another bout of pain sent Sasuki to the ground and she stumbled to recover. Before she could move far Yoroi was on top of her with his glowing hand over her forehead, absorbing her energy.

"Wha-what is going on? What are you doing to my chakra?" She tried to remove his arm but felt her arms grow weak.

Yoroi snickered, for an Uchiha she wasn't very bright.

"You just noticed? I'm absorbing your chakra through my hand leaving you with no energy to fight. This will be over in a minute so just relax."

Sasuki knew she had to get him off of her if she wanted to win, but her strength was ebbing.

_'If this keeps up I might have to use that damn seal..'_

Realizing that was impossible she quickly gathered strength in her leg and kicked Yoroi in the stomach. It launched the other genin back some feet away giving her some room to recover.

"So..you still have some fight left in you. Don't worry, I'll make it quick!" Yoroi was back up and running at Sasuki who had just gotten to her feet.

Even without her sharingan she was able to weave out of his strong arm attacks, although she was very sluggish from fatigue. One particular attack struck close to her neck with the seal sending another wave of pain throughout her body. Sidestepping his attack she stumbled past him in a sad attempt of dodging.

Naruto watched his sister's movements with concern. This wasn't the Sasuki he knew, she would have used a jutsu or activated her sharingan by then. Why was she hesitating? Was she playing with her opponent or had the last fight taken more out of her than he thought?

Whatever it was it was eating at the back of his mind as he watched her struggle to survive on the arena floor.

_'Come on Sasuki. Get your strength and fight back!'_

Sasuki swung a kick around her back but saw her opponent leap away. Panting heavily she was forced to listen to him goad her into fighting.

"Is that all you've got? I expected more from the illustrious Uchiha clan."

_'I don't have the speed to keep away from him.. no chance I can with taijutsu alone. Come on Sasuki, think!'_

"Don't let him talk to you like that Sasuki!" She turned as she heard Naruto speak up, his frustration with the fight boiling over. "You are an Uchiha, you are better than this!"

He was right and she knew that, but the pain was too much for her to handle. It was then she noticed Rock Lee standing next to him on the railing and remembered back to when they fought one another. His foot techniques and taijutsu aside she remembered him constantly trying to get Naruto in midair where he would be vulnerable.

It was then she was hit with an idea. In her condition it would probably be the last move she could pull off but it was the best she could think of.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Yoroi charged forward intent on grabbing her with his hand, forcing her to back up and weave in and out of his lunges.

The proctor looked on surprised by the Uchiha's passive behavior, he was expecting her to be more aggressive. With her current state he wondered if she could continue.

_'Is this all we will see?'_

After another missed lunge Sasuki smirked and sidestepped out of Yoroi's view. He quickly began to look around in a panic trying to find her.

"Don't try and underestimate an Uchiha!"

From beneath him she launched him up into the air with a kick to his jaw. Now flying through the air Yoroi sensed a presence underneath him and was shocked to see her flying parallel to him.

Rock Lee and Gai widened their eyes in recognition of that technique, it was almost identical to their own. How did she pull something off like that?

"I'll admit that it isn't my most original move but now it's over for you!"

She was just about to begin when the curse mark began to act up, spreading over her neck and face. Growling she tried to resist it and knew that she could not hide it from Naruto anymore. Angered by her show of weakness Sasuki continued to fight against its influence as everyone continued to watch.

Naruto saw the strange marks take over her neck and immediately turned to Shino. Was this what he was trying to warn them about? Why did Sasuki keep something like that to herself and what did it mean?

_'What the hell is going on?'_

Shino just continued to watch and knew that the secret was out. He was now worried about what might happen if she was to lose control again. It would not end well for any of them if that happened.

_'Is this the end?'_

Kakashi wondered if it was time for him to intervene.

Inside her mind Sasuki played over the events the last time she succumbed to the evil chakra. The pain she inflicted on Zaku and the harsh words Shino spoke to her. Replaying those words over in her head gave her strength.

_'This isn't you! Naruto wouldn't want this!'_

_'You are an Uchiha, you are better than this Sasuki!'_

"Yeah, I am better than this. I AM in control!" The cursed mark suddenly receded surprising Anko who had not been expecting her to control it so soon.

Launching a kick to Yoroi's side she quickly recovered after it was blocked. Ignoring his taunt of already beating her she twisted her body around and launched a devastating clothesline to his neck, sending him flying toward the ground. Spitting out blood the spy could do nothing but watch as Sasuki twisted around again and punched him in the stomach.

"It isn't over yet!"

As soon as he hit the ground with a thud she did an axe kick onto his stomach with enough force to knock Yoroi into unconsciousness. She slid away and fell over onto her stomach, all the adrenaline and strength leaving her in one moment. All eyes watched the dust settle as neither fighter moved, it was now up to the proctor to deliver the verdict.

Hayate wandered over to Yoroi and saw he had lost consciousness.

"Well, this one is done."

Hearing a grunt he looked over at Sasuki and saw her get to her feet, unsteadily. Even though she was just barely holding it together, it was clear to him that she was the winner.

"With her opponent unable to continue the fight, I declare Sasuki Uchiha the winner!"

Naruto began to clap and cheer for his sister, eliciting the rest of the Konoha genin to cheer as well. Suna and Oto continued to stare, not satisfied with the end result.

Shino let loose a sigh of relief and noticed Kakashi disappeared. The Jonin joined his student and steadied her before she fell, making her turn her head to address him.

"Not bad." He commented in his usual tone; she smirked.

"After only briefly observing Rock Lee's style of taijutsu you were able to imitate its aerial variant almost perfectly, your sharingan must have helped you copy it."

Sasuki said nothing but acknowledged that without watching Naruto fight him she would not have had a chance to win. Feeling pain all over her body that was not from the seal, it quickly was made apparent it was not a technique to be used often.

_'It really took a lot out of me.'_ She thought as she held her side.

Rock Lee watched on still mesmerized by her ability to emulate his technique. She had not even seen him fully perform it and yet was able to not only copy but create her own technique. Truly she was a skilled shinobi worthy of his affection.

A medical shinobi team had been deployed to the field and took Yoroi out on a stretcher. One approached Sasuki to bring her along as her wounds were also extensive.

"I think you should come to the infirmary as well Uchiha-san."

Kakashi looked at him and made it clear that would not be possible.

"You are out of your league with this one. I'll take care of her."

With a clear rebuttal the medical ninja had no choice but to head out with his compatriots. Kakashi rested a hand on Sasuki's shoulder and leaned in close.

"We need to seal that curse mark off immediately."

Sasuki turned to face him clearly incensed she would be missing the rest of the matches.

"What? But I'll miss the rest of the preliminaries, I want to see who wins. I need to see Naruto-"

"Forget it! Don't even think about arguing with the danger you know that seal is capable of." He lowered his voice after scolding her. "Naruto will understand after Shino explains the situation. Give him a little more credit."

Resigned to her fate she sighed and began to walk out of the stadium. Her teammates watch her go with Kakashi at her side, confusion laced their features.

As soon as they were out of view Naruto turned on Shino and slammed him against the wall. The other teams looked on as the two seemed ready to fight one another; Naruto's sharingan flared and kikaichu began to emerge from Shino's sleeves. Before they could come to blows the blonde demanded an explanation, he had to know what had happened to Sasuki while he was unconscious.

"What the hell happened to her after I was knocked out. Tell me!" He gripped the Aburame's jacket with white knuckles showing his fervor.

Although it wasn't under the best circumstances Shino was glad he could finally reveal the truth to Naruto. He was not the kind of person to lie even after Sasuki's request to keep it quiet. As her brother he deserved to know the truth.

"When we fought against Orochimaru she had almost beaten him. We let our guard down when he got back up and latched onto her neck, biting her. Afterward some sort of seal formed in the same spot, that was what you saw during the fight." As he listened, Naruto's grip slowly faltered as he processed the information.

"During your recovery we were attacked by Sound ninja and she woke up. After seeing you getting hurt she activated the mark on accident and almost killed the other genin. It took just about everything I had to get her to stop but even then, it was close. Whatever it is, that mark is dangerous and evil."

"And so..Sasuki didn't tell me?"

"She didn't want you to worry about her and act irrationally. I disagreed but she did not give me a chance to warn you before now..." Shino watched as the Uchiha backed up, clearly distraught. "I'm sorry Naruto."

Naruto was quiet for a long pause before he tightened his fists and anger came over him again. It was Orochimaru's fault that his sister was in pain and he was unable to do anything, _again_.

"_Why_ am I so _weak_? I can't even protect my sister properly.." He was speaking in low tones but Shino heard perfectly, he did not know what to say in order to comfort him.

"That bastard Orochimaru..I'll kill him." Naruto eyed Shino, his sharingan activated again.

"Mark my words Shino, I will kill him before this is over." With the most determined and resolute voice he had heard from the blonde, Shino knew there was no lie.

He could only nod in response, respecting Naruto's wish. After the disgrace he suffered at the hands of the rogue ninja and the hurt caused to his team, Shino would like revenge too.

"Right behind you."

Before they could continue the proctor announced the next two fighters and they looked at the screen. Shino was up next against Zaku, it seemed they were fated to finish their fight.

Naruto just gave Shino a nod of confidence as the leaf genin disappeared to the arena floor. If they wanted to avenge Sasuki they couldn't get held up in some preliminary match. Both of them had to win to see it through to the end and that was what they planned to do.

Zaku leaped to the ground, both arms wrapped together in front of his stomach. He was glad he could finally get revenge against the Konoha shinobi who did that to his arms. With Orochimaru's support he was able to heal his legs and one of his arms; even with the warnings from his teammates not to compete he didn't care, he just wanted to see Shino pay.

"It's time I pay you back for what you did in the forest!"

Shino said nothing just as he did the last time, standing resolute on his side of the arena.

"If you face me..you really won't have any arms left to heal."

The Oto ninja scoffed and motioned the arena and how it was empty.

"No more bugs for you to control, its a level playing field now!"

_'Fool, he still hasn't learned my technique yet.'_ Shino thought as the match began with Hayate leaping away from between them.

Zaku removed his left arm and launched himself forward with the intent to punch his opponent's head. Shino blocked it with his right arm and stared him down in close quarters.

"It's over! **Zankūha!**"

A gust of wind launched from his hands and sent Shino flying. Wisps of smoke emanated from his crumpled body as he lay on the stone floor after Zaku's attack.

Naruto leaned over the railing not believing the attack. How could Shino not have seen that coming if they already fought last time?

_'Tell me you have a plan Shino!'_

* * *

In a sealed room lit by candlelight, two figures were in the center of the room. Within a circle of pillars lay another circle of kunai, each with kanji written in blood. They trailed back to Sasuki's bare chest and back with Kakashi's bitten finger being the source of the writing.

Covered only by her chest bindings, Sasuki sat in the middle of the ritual circle propped up by her hands. She felt slight discomfort by the fact he was writing on her skin with blood but paid it no mind. If it meant stopping the pain and Orochimaru's influence she would take it.

"That is the last of the writing. The sealing shouldn't take long, are you ready?"

Sasuki looked over her shoulder before taking a deep breath.

"Yeah."

"Alright then."

Kakashi began going through hand signs and placed his palm over Sasuki's neck. The blood writing receded into a sphere around the curse mark, becoming black as ink. She screamed in pain feeling every second of the sealing like a thousand daggers slicing her skin.

As the last of the letters took their place around the seal, Sasuki panted from exhaustion. With a quick check the Jonin confirmed it worked and quickly sought to comfort her.

"That should do it, the next time the seal begins to act up it should be contained. It will only work if your will stays against Orochimaru and the cursed mark. If you falter, it will be too much to stop."

Sasuki could only nod her head in assent before falling unconscious for some much needed rest. Glad to see his student was out of the fire if only for a moment, he prepared to pick her up when he heard a voice. This voice sent chills down his spine. Turning in the right direction he came face to face with Orochimaru himself.

"I see you sealed that nasty chakra away. Nice thinking."

"Orochimaru.." Kakashi got into a ready stance as the Sannin remained calm, practically beaming.

"Long time no see, _Kakashi_."

Shifting a bit, Orochimaru took on a more serious tone as their stare down continued.

"No offense Kakashi, but my business isn't with you. It is with that girl behind you."

The Jonin spread his legs a bit to better cover Sasuki. With a challenging glare and a dangerous tone, he held his ground against the Oto leader.

"What do you want with Sasuki?"

Orochimaru just looked at him for a bit before slowly smiling, as if he figured something out. Ready for anything Kakashi continued to hold his ground waiting for a response.

"Oh ho, I see you have acquired a gift. You didn't have it the last time we met.." Kakashi's eye widened in surprise, how did he know? "The sharingan on your left eye, how lucky of you!"

With a shrug of his shoulders the Sannin continued.

"It is only natural that I want that power too. The Uchiha bloodline..she will be my ace."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Orochimaru just smiled and started to walk toward Kakashi. The Jonin counted each step, one..two..and three. Suddenly he spread his legs even farther and hunched over, grabbing his right arm and gathering chakra in his hand. Not expecting much the villain was visibly taken aback by the lightning chakra that was gathering to form his Raikiri.

"Take one more step Orochimaru and I won't hold back. One of us will die here!"

With that statement the white skinned man began to cackle. Soon it turned into full maniacal laughter, shaking Kakashi's resolve. What was so funny?

"Hahahaha! You don't actually think you can keep her from me do you?" Kakashi just glared at him as he continued. "We both know her heart's desire, to avenge her clan. To do that she will need power that only I can offer."

"We'll see about that."

They stared off against one another for a while longer before Orochimaru shrugged and began to walk off in the opposite direction.

"So we shall, it seems I've outstayed my welcome. Now is your chance Kakashi..just _try_ and kill me."

Kakashi's eye widened as killer intent flooded out from the Sannin, his own death flashing in his mind. Visibly shaken he was unable to react until Orochimaru had fully retreated. With him gone it was a chance to take a breather and calm down.

_'"One of us will die here", what the hell was I thinking?'_

He turned his shoulder to see Sasuki still unconscious. They needed to get her to the infirmary and Mikoto needed to be alerted. It looked like he would only have a short time to tell Naruto and Shino what had happened, hopefully things were going well on their end.

* * *

Shino stood back up no worse for wear after Zaku's attack, surprising everyone. With a hand seal kikaichu began to crawl out of his jacket from holes in his skin. Remembering the last time he encountered the bugs the Oto ninja was careful and began to back away when he heard a very loud chirping sound from behind.

Thousands of bugs littered the ground as Shino moved to cut off his other avenue of escape. Surrounded Zaku's eyes desperately moved back and forth between opponents not sure which to attack.

"You remember these bugs from last time I think. No need for an explanation. Your only chance is to surrender if you wish to leave unscathed."

"Shut the hell up!"

_'Fight for me Zaku, fight and win.'_ He was tired of being weak, he was not about to go back to being nothing after all the work he had put forward.

"I can NOT AFFORD TO LOSE! I've come too far!"

With his one good arm he prepared to fire his wind attack at Shino, intent on finishing him no matter what happened to him. Not surprised by his choice the Aburame could only shake his head in disappointment as his attack charged.

"Die!"

The wind chakra traveled through his wind tunnel to the end on his hand, but the flow was interrupted just as it was last time. As Zaku screamed in pain as the wind chakra exploded out of his already damaged arm, Shino only looked on with annoyance.

_'You have learned nothing from our last fight. I can't pity someone like that.'_

Soon Zaku collapsed and Hayate's quick inspection showed he was unconscious and incapable of fighting. With that ruling Shino was declared the winner with light applause from Konoha's side.

Although his teammates were sad he lost, they were in no way surprised after their last encounter with Shino. He had single handedly beat their team and for that even Dosu had to give him the respect he deserved. Still, his wish for revenge made him promise to Zaku he would even the odds.

Naruto greeted Shino on the way back up with a clap on the shoulder.

"Nice job Shino! I knew you could do it!"

"Sasuki and I have won. Just make sure you do the same." Even though Shino's voice was still stoic, his words meant to be friendly.

The blonde nodded in confidence and awaited his turn eagerly. It wasn't long until Kakashi appeared with them taking the two by surprise as they waited for the next match. Immediately their thoughts went to Sasuki and Naruto was the first to ask what had happened.

"Where is she?"

With a dismissive wave of his hand Kakashi attempted to calm him down, to no avail.

"She's resting peacefully in the infirmary." A sigh of relief came over the two genin after hearing that news.

What he didn't tell them was that she was being guarded by an elite group of ANBU black ops. As long as Orochimaru was around he could take no risks with his student's safety. With Mikoto on the way to the hospital she would soon get the chance to be reunited with her daughter after some time, although it was not under the best of circumstances.

"I can't stay long since I need to make sure your mother gets to see her safely. Just wanted to let you guys know what was happening and wish you luck!"

Naruto smiled and pointed at Shino.

"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, Shino already won his match. It's just down to me!"

Kakashi smiled, a smile to ensure they were confident.

"I have no doubt you will win Naruto. All Sasuki could talk about was wanting to see your match, so don't let her down."

His smile became even bigger.

"I won't let you down!"

Kakashi disappeared leaving the two genin to watch the next few matches from the sidelines. That news put them at ease, at least for now.

* * *

_Some Hours Later_

000

_Naruto Uchiha vs. Kiba Inuzuka_

As soon as the names appeared on the big screen, the two rivals met each others glare. It was about time they finished their fight between one another, this time without Sasuki interfering.

Kiba was the first one onto the field as he eagerly waited for Naruto to arrive. His sensei and teammate Hinata worried that he was taking the fight too seriously and would make some sort of mistake. It was never a good idea to take such a vendetta so personally as the Inuzuka was doing, it would cloud his judgment.

_'If I know anything about Naruto is that he isn't stupid. Kiba will have his hands full, with or without using his sister against him.'_ Kurenai thought, well versed in their rivalry from what she overheard from Kiba.

_'I hope Naruto-kun doesn't hurt Kiba-kun too badly..'_ Hinata meekly hoped, knowing the Uchiha's strength.

"Naruto, be careful and don't let your feelings get the better of you. Ignore whatever he says about Sasuki and just focus on the match." Shino warned, knowing that the blonde could succumb to his taunts just as easily as Kiba could.

"I know Shino. That guy is about to get what he deserves after I'm through with him."

Naruto landed on the arena floor across from Kiba and engaged in a staring contest. It was quite obvious the two had bad blood between them and a fight was the only way they could resolve it.

"Shame Sasuki isn't here to see you lose!"

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing." Naruto retorted to Kiba's taunt, enraging him.

"Yeah, well she'll get the message when you are off to the infirmary to join her! Time to show who is the real alpha male of our class."

He had trained so hard to surpass Naruto and show him who had real talent. There was no way he could lose to the runt!

"I'm not here to prove anything Kiba..I'd much rather be with Sasuki right now! So.." Naruto tightened his black headband and got into the Uchiha form, legs bent and palm out. "This time I'm just going to kick your ass as fast as I can."

Kurenai smiled at Naruto's retort, he could beat Kiba at his own game. Her student growled in annoyance, why was _he_ the one that got to act cool!

Hayate stood between them for only a moment before beginning the match. It was time for a clear victor to be decided.

* * *

The last guard slumped to his knees as Kabuto sliced his throat, allowing him to enter the room without any further resistance. On the bed lay Sasuki Uchiha, Orochimaru's most prized possession that lay outside of his reach. Sent to retrieve her for his lord, the spy stood over her bed and found himself stunned by her beauty.

Her eyes covered by a thick cloth, she was breathing with the help of a respirator over her nose and mouth. The rest of her body lay beneath the thick blankets, likely covered in bandages. Kabuto smiled as he pushed a stray hair from over her eyes to behind her ear.

"You are so beautiful like this..vulnerable and weak."

Seeing a nearby scalpel he picked it up, playing with it in his hand.

"_So beautiful.."_ He whispered closer to her face, his smile turning devilish. _"Perhaps I should keep you for myself?"_

The knife came close to her respirator before a voice rang out from the doorway. Eyes widening in surprise Kabuto turned to face the source of the most dangerous tone he had ever heard.

"_Get the __**hell**__ away_ from my daughter you filth!"

Mikoto Uchiha stood in the doorway, her face a fit of disgust and rage. Soon her sharingan was activated and the beautiful matriarch of the Uchiha clan was now set to become an avatar of destruction in the infirmary.

Remaining calm, Kabuto smiled and adjusted his glasses.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mikoto _Uchiha_."

000

So there you have it, the latest chapter of _Blonde Uchiha_. Hope you enjoy it and if you did, leave a review and tell me what you liked about it. Preparing for college still so don't expect chapters to just roll out, but expect good content when they do. No matter how long it takes I will do my best to finish this story so be sure to continue reading.

Check out my deviantart favorites folder if those pictures interest you, just remember that they are not mine. I collected them from the great artists of that site so some of you could enjoy them.

Also be aware that if Fanfiction does not change their policy on lemons by Part II of this story, there will not be any lemons just to ensure it is not taken down.

See ya next time in _Namikaze Assassin_.

Review!


	16. The Matriarch's Training!

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 16

The Matriarch's Training!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

**Age Alert!:** Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.

**Time Frame:** Naruto and Sasuki are now genin while Mikoto has returned to active duty as a Leaf Jounin.

Thanks to college and a bit of writer's block I have been unable to post up my next chapter of _Mercenary for Hire._ I'm hoping that by changing my usual writing schedule up a bit and working on _Blonde Uchiha_ I can get something done.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Forest of Death_

_Tower_

000

"Begin!"

Naruto began going through hand signs immediately after Hayate leaped away. There was no way he was going to let Kiba get the advantage! Chakra built up in his lungs as he brought the attack to full strength, keeping the dog boy in his sights.

"**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!**"

Kiba watched as dozens of small fireballs launched from Naruto's mouth forcing him to move. If he was willing to use a jutsu from the start of the match, Kiba was expecting a real challenge from Naruto. Even then, he couldn't afford to lose after all the boasting he did. If he really was the best for Sasuki then he had to show it!

_'It's going to take more than this to beat me, Naruto!'_

"Akamaru!" The dog yelped in agreement and leaped from his jacket to give Kiba some space for his technique.

Naruto was not about to let his opponent get a chance to breathe. He dashed forward and grabbed a few kunai from his thigh holster, throwing them at Kiba. This forced the Inuzuka to retreat before he could grab whatever he needed from his own ninja bag. It freed Naruto to continue running at Akamaru whom had been his original target; the dog growled as the blonde came barreling toward him.

"Sorry Akamaru..but I can't afford to leave you alone!"

"**Tsūga!**"

From his left Naruto noticed Kiba barreling toward him in a spinning motion. Realizing it was some sort of technique Naruto used his footing to spin himself out of the trajectory. Akamaru took this time to run toward Kiba who was recovering from his attack and fishing something out from his pocket. Realizing the danger of this the Uchiha went through more hand signs as he ran toward them, unwilling to let them complete their plan.

_'I need to knock Akamaru unconscious. To do that though I need to get Kiba out of the way! **Kage Bunshin!**_'

Three more Narutos appeared at his sides, poised to strike against their common enemy. They all stopped a distance away and went through hand signs in sync.

The Jounin observers felt a chakra buildup and knew the blonde was about to commit to a strong attack. There was no doubt in their minds that both genin were willing to go all out against each other.

Hiruzen watched the match progress with a guarded stance. On the one hand he was proud of Naruto's ability and wanted to see him succeed. On the other he was worried that recent events were clouding the boy's judgment and he was going to overdo it. For now he had to be content to sit and watch what might have been one of the most controversial fights yet.

_'No one wants to see Naruto win here. They think it is too risky for the jinchuuriki to be allowed to compete especially with the training he has undergone. Prove them wrong, Naruto!'_

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**"

A combined fireball enveloped a large part of the arena where Kiba and Akamaru had been. The attack was so bright some had to shield their eyes and others like the proctor had to retreat from the strength of the blaze. Naruto refused to let up the attack for a moment until he sensed something headed toward him.

"**Gatsūga!**"

Two figures came charging out of the flames in a spinning motion toward Naruto. Neither looked worse for wear meaning his attack had failed to stop their transformation jutsu. His only thought was to retreat as he jumped back in time to witness his clones get destroyed all at once by the beast duo.

Kiba stopped spinning a little ways off from Naruto with Akamaru at his side. They both were identical now thanks to the Inuzuka jutsu that allowed beast to imitate the master. Both had taken on animal-like features with elongated nails and larger canines, all poised to do a lot of damage if Naruto let them.

"Ready to give up yet? When we have this kind of power we can't be beaten!" Kiba bragged trying to get some sort of rise out of the blonde.

Naruto did not respond and instead got into a low stance like a crouching tiger. He was preparing himself for another attack they would surely send at him.

Kurenai observed from the stands and wore a grimace after hearing her student's foolish boasting. He should have pressed his attack rather than give Naruto time to prepare. Instead, Kakashi's student was the one that was more powerful where hers had no idea the kind of position he was in.

Shino just shook his head at Kiba's overconfidence. If he kept it up then it would be his downfall. Naruto wasn't about to let that advantage escape him, not when it meant the difference between winning and losing.

"You know.." Naruto started to speak drawing his opponent's attention. "You really talk too much."

Kiba growled in anger. "What did you say?!"

Akamaru had had enough; the adrenaline rushing through him with his new transformation got the better of him as he launched forward at the blonde. No one would talk about his friend like that if he could help it!

Exactly what Naruto had been waiting for, the blonde turned to the dog and activated his sharingan. Noticing the jutsu momentarily stunned the dog, long enough for Naruto to launch forward and bring the full force of his knee into the clone's stomach.

His opponent released a very loud yelp as he went flying back. Akamaru could not stop himself before slamming into the statue, splintering the concrete wall and falling motionless to the ground. Smoke enveloped his body for a moment before revealing the dog's true form and proving he was in fact unconscious.

Everyone was stunned into silence. With one strike the battle was back to a one on one. Naruto turned to look at Kiba but realized the boy was already on top of him, lunging at him with a clawed hand. Thankfully his sharingan read the attack and helped him duck where he threw his own punch at Kiba. The strike landed but did nothing at all to stop the Inuzuka's onslaught forcing the blonde to weave in and out of his fierce attacks.

If the battle had not already been decided, Hayate thought it was now. Kiba was going to make mistakes now that he was letting his emotions run him completely. Naruto could now take his time because they were on equal footing. The next strike would decide the fight.

Kiba was sent flying back by a roundhouse kick Naruto was able to get off. This gave him a brief respite to rest from the flurry of punches launched at him a moment ago. Hurting Akamaru really set him off.

_'I can't blame him..I feel the same way with my family.'_

"Sorry, but it is time we finish this I think!" Naruto exclaimed to the seething opposition.

"Who says this fight is over?! I'm going to destroy you!"

Naruto ran forward with both hands in his waist pouch, grabbing as many shuriken as he could find. It was time he tried out a technique he read about in one of those scrolls.

"_**That's a lot of chakra, don't overdo it!"**_

"_I know.'_

Naruto threw the shuriken at his opponent and made a few seals with his hands, gathering chakra around each one of the projectiles. A shadow began to appear near each one as some of the more keen observers noticed the technique being used.

The Hokage's eyes widened as he was unable to hide his surprise. How did Naruto know that technique?!

Orochimaru smirked, the boy had some potential after all. If he was willing to learn a high level technique like that at his age, it was almost as if he was looking into a mirror.

"**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

From the handful of shuriken thrown came a dozen more, then even more appeared in a spring of smoke. Kiba was stunned into inaction at the attack launched at him, what was he supposed to do? They covered all his avenues of escape and not even he could move fast enough to dodge them all.

Just as Hayate was about to stop the match and protect Kiba, the blonde yelled out a warning. It seemed the clone jutsu wasn't the way he wanted to finish the match.

"I'm not done yet!"

The Naruto who threw the shuriken disappeared in a puff of smoke. This forced everyone's eyes to wander around the arena trying to figure out where he went. Then, just as the first shuriken was about to graze Kiba's cheek it exploded into smoke. Instead of receiving a razor sharp slice, Kiba received a fist full of pain from the real Naruto that had hidden away in the shuriken's shadow.

The Inuzuka went flying close to where Akamaru had landed, making a similar impact into the now battered stone statue. Hayate and Kurenai were quick on the scene to check if both were alright.

Naruto remained where he was in the silence of the arena. He didn't like hurting other Leaf shinobi and he really didn't hate Kiba even if he was a jerk. Other than moving onto the final stage with his team there was nothing he could really say he was happy about after that fight.

"You trained hard..I couldn't ask for a better opponent." Naruto bowed before walking back to the stands, surprising everyone with his politeness.

Kurenai was stunned for a moment before a smile came to her face. She looked down at her student, his face was in a mix of both pain and relief. He got to fight against his rival, that was all he wanted. With the kind of response Naruto gave it was hard not to be pleased.

"Good work, Kiba."

Hayate allowed the medical team to take over before walking to the center of the arena. Even though the result was clear to see, it seemed the people needed confirmation before they could respond.

"With Kiba Inuzuka unable to continue the match, I declare Naruto Uchiha the winner!"

Cheers erupted from the Leaf's side for the returning hero. The Hokage and other jounin couldn't help but respond with some sort of congratulations after a hard fought match. There was even clapping from the Suna-Oto side with Orochimaru, still disguised as an Oto jounin, couldn't help but feel impressed with both of the Uchiha's matches.

Naruto walked through his friends and teachers receiving compliments and pats on the back. He took his place next to Shino as they waited for the next round to begin. After receiving too much praise, the Uchiha was happy to receive a simple nod of congratulations from his teammate.

Once all of this was over he could finally check on Sasuki. No matter what his teacher said, he was still worried that something terrible had happened.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hospital_

000

"Nice to finally meet you, Mikoto _Uchiha_." The tone he used to say her last name made Mikoto sick to her stomach, but that was the least of her worries.

When Kakashi had alerted her to Sasuki's condition she rushed to the hospital to check on her daughter. She always knew the Uchiha would never be able to hide themselves from the spotlight, but Orochimaru of all people had to take an interest in her. Now there was one of his lackeys in front of Mikoto trying to take her daughter away.

That was not about to happen. She started moving closer to the bed, her right hand already grabbing a kunai from her thigh.

Kabuto, not one to be concerned easily just watched with amusement until she reached a certain point. Then he revealed a curved kunai and held it at the ready, forcing Mikoto to stop a few feet from him.

"I hate to put a mother like yourself in this position but.." He shifted the weapon to his right hand where he held it to Sasuki's throat.

Mikoto scowled but kept her focus on Kabuto, his politeness was pissing her off.

"I have a mission to complete so I ask that you leave. Otherwise, I will have to make us both leave here empty handed." He smirked, knowing that the woman would give in with her daughter on the line.

"You think you know how the Uchiha work?"

Mikoto's calm demeanor and tone took Kabuto by surprise, her face was washed of any concern for her daughter's well being. It was such a change from a moment ago!

"My daughter knows this better than anyone..we don't respond to threats very well."

Sensing her killer intent the spy was forced to react, but he did not expect her to move with that kind of speed. Mikoto was on him in less than a second, batting his weapon away and taking his leg out from under him. Kabuto toppled over with her following him down, kunai to his throat. That was when she noticed something was off with her sharingan.

_'This body is wrong, it's chakra is only focused around the extremities.'_

Her peripheral vision showed one of the dead bodies getting up and making a dash for the door, confirming her theory. The body she had taken down was some sort of dummy being manipulated by the real Kabuto. Before he could even leave the room though, someone blocked his exit.

"Going somewhere?" Mikoto saw Kakashi enter the room forcing the traitor back.

In a pincer movement, the matriarch approached from behind with her kunai at the ready. He was not going to get away from her. She had to know what Orochimaru wanted with her family.

As Kabuto looked between the two trying to find a way to escape, another body stirred. Mikoto noticed it first with her sharingan; the chakra in the 'dead' body had been suppressed until now, but it was again bright enough for her to see. Realizing this was Kabuto's last attempt to escape she made a mad dash for the body as it stood it up.

Kakashi realized what was going on and moved to support Mikoto, but he wasn't fast enough. He watched as shuriken thrown from Kabuto broke the window. When he was about to leap out though, Mikoto was able to deliver a slice to his side from her kunai.

The two jounin gathered at the window and watched Kabuto fall, blood dripping from the gash. Even though he got away the wound might make it easier to track him down.

"Kakashi..what now?"

Mikoto turned to her daughter's teacher; even though she was his senior, he had more combat experience and had more information on Orochimaru's activities than she was privy to.

"We need to report this to the Hokage immediately. Wait here while I call for help in cleaning up this mess."

Kakashi stepped out for a moment to get into contact with his ANBU observers. If they called the nurses up now it would only cause a panic.

Mikoto stayed with her daughter, brushing her cheek with the palm of her hand. Tears threatened to flow from her eyes from the frustration that was welling up inside her. No matter how hard she worked so her daughter could have peace it seemed there was always something standing in their way. First it was Itachi, then it was the council, and now Orochimaru threatened to take away everything the Uchiha cared about.

_'Fugaku..give me strength.'_

000

_A few days later.._

000

_Konohagakure_

_Team 7 Training Grounds_

000

"Alright then, today is the day we announce training partners!"

Kakashi said in an elated voice, trying to breathe enthusiasm into his genin. It was failing judging by their bored expressions.

"Get on with it Kakashi, we have wasted enough time already." Sasuki ordered, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and her usual blue high collar.

Naruto was just glad to see his sister back up and feeling better. He had the opportunity to see her in the hospital covered in bandages and he was afraid she might never recover. The speed in which she got out of the hospital was incredible from his perspective but it was good to know it didn't slow her down at all.

"Ah..alright." Their teacher scratched his head, expecting it to take a bit longer to tick them off. "Well, with permission from your mother I'll be training you, Sasuki."

This was enough to get all three's attention to the fore. Kakashi would only be training one of them? For the entire month? Was that a joke?

"Just me? What about Naruto and Shino?!" In another time she might be flattered or consider it a matter of course their teacher would spend the most time with her, but right now she was more concerned about her brother.

She had heard about his victory over Kiba but she was not nearly as surprised as everyone was expecting her to be. There was no doubt in her mind that Naruto would win that round; the actual third exam had her afraid though. Sasuki had been told of what happened to Rock Lee when he fought against Gaara, she could only imagine the pain and fear of fighting an opponent like that.

If her brother was to go up against him he needed the best teacher, she couldn't think of anyone but Kakashi.

"Calm down Sasuki, Mikoto-san thought this out. While I train you, she will handle Naruto's training."

Sasuki's frustration turned to surprise, her mother was going to train Naruto? Before her father had died, Mikoto had volunteered to help Sasuki with her techniques but she had never taken the offer. She never thought of her mother as a teacher and assumed her father was the only one with authority to train her the right way. Now that her brother was going to be taken care of by her, she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

_'Kaa-san will get the advantage with me out of the picture..'_

Unfortunately Sasuki's mind took off in a more perverted direction while Kakashi turned his attention to Shino. Long before the Uchiha had made up their minds on how to train, the Aburame was already decided.

"Shino, your father has volunteered to teach you for the month. That sound good?"

The insect user merely nodded having been told about it from his mother. His father was even more reclusive than Shino was so it was difficult to find time to talk. At that point he was used to it and he just hoped the training would be significant enough for the third exam.

"Well then, that wasn't so bad right?" The jounin asked them receiving nothing but blank stares as they were lost in their own thoughts.

Naruto was conflicted on the news; on the one hand he would miss being with Sasuki but on the other he would finally have time alone to spend with Mikoto. Their mother must have been lonely in the compound with the both of them taking the chunin exams. Hopefully they could have a good time together during the training month. He had faith Mikoto could help him become even stronger.

_'I won't forget the promise I made to you Mikoto-chan..I **will** become a Chunin. I will protect you and Sasuki no matter what. That is my ninja way.'_

"Naruto, are you okay?" He woke from his stupor to see Sasuki standing in front of him, looking concerned; Shino and Kakashi had already left.

"Ah yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff..hehe." His awkward laugh failed to make her laugh but she quickly shrugged it off and ushered him to follow.

"Come on, we should go somewhere together before training starts tomorrow. We won't see each other for a while after all." It was a bit difficult to hold back her sadness after saying that, but Naruto held her hand tightly as they walked to the ramen stand.

He understood her feelings as he too felt sad to be separated for such a long time. If it would make them stronger for the exams though he was ready to make that sacrifice. Naruto would put his faith in Kakashi to take care of her for a little while.

"Don't slack off during training or it will be easy to beat you next round." Naruto kid, although Sasuki seemed to take it as a challenge instead.

"I-I was about to say the same thing to you! Don't bring shame to the Uchiha and mess around with Kaa-san." Naruto laughed, not catching the hidden meaning in that statement.

Seeing Sasuki flustered was too entertaining not to risk it. Their date was sure to be even more awkward after she hit him over the head for laughing, making a bump noticeable by Ayame. While those two spent their last few hours together, their teachers planned the month's activities in a desperate bid to have them prepared for anything the other contestants could throw at them.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

000

"Good luck Sasuki."

"Don't go easy on her Kakashi-san."

Sasuki and Naruto hugged each other goodbye while Mikoto addressed her daughter's new caretaker. The two would be going to the outskirts of Konoha to train together for the next month. It would be harsh for the young girl but they all knew she wouldn't accept anything less.

"Understood, she will be kept busy."

"Take care of Kaa-san Naruto, but don't let me catch you doing anything you aren't supposed to! Got it!?" She grabbed his collar and shook to make her point clear, no funny business with Mikoto.

Too young and naïve to even contemplate it, Naruto was Sasuki's rag doll for no fault of his own. Mikoto chuckled and sent her off so that she didn't knock him unconscious, she needed him awake for their training. They waved one last goodbye before the gates shut and the two were alone.

"Well then Naruto, shall we begin?"

Naruto looked at Mikoto and saw how happy she was to start training. He wondered if it was because she missed having a sparring partner, or maybe she was just happy to see him. Regardless her smile became infectious as he followed her to the back of the house.

"Sounds good Kaa-san..I'm ready to learn."

"You better be, I won't be going easy on you."

They stood on either side of the training area from each other. Mikoto had heard from the other jounin how Naruto won his matches as well as how he performed during the first two exams. From that she had come up with a plan to focus his training on what she felt were his best skills and where he was still lacking.

"I heard about how well you did during the exams Naruto.."

Her smile was lost as she remembered hearing about their encounter with Orochimaru. Mikoto's children weren't strong enough to handle him and she doubted that she could do much against him either. That said, she wasn't about to let that stop her from making Naruto the best shinobi he could be.

"I also know about what happened with Orochimaru. He was too strong for you to fight against with your current strength, wasn't he?" Naruto looked down in shame.

"Don't make that face! Beating yourself up will accomplish nothing." Hands on her hips Mikoto started the lecture somewhat harshly.

"My training is going to make you into the true meaning of an Uchiha; someone with power who knows when and how to use it to defeat their enemies and protect their family. No more, no less."

"_I can do it..I have to."_ Naruto whispered to himself, he wouldn't let himself be caught off guard again.

"Let's get started then!"

Suddenly Mikoto was right next to him, throwing a punch to his head. Taken by surprise, Naruto went flying before he could recover from the attack. He looked up and saw Mikoto headed straight for him, not letting up. For a moment he was frozen in fear with that cold look she gave him; with her sharingan activated, the Uchiha matriarch was a frightening person indeed.

"No hesitation! You _are_ an Uchiha aren't you?!"

Naruto understood what the test was about now. He got up and brought out his own sharingan, preparing himself for her charge. No matter who the opponent was and no matter how powerful they were, he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. They met in close combat, taijutsu evenly matched as Naruto blocked every one of Mikoto's attacks.

Even in this situation he was still in a disadvantage as Mikoto used her fully matured sharingan's abilities to their zenith. A genjutsu placed upon him made Naruto's reflexes slow as he tried to break free, but it took too long. With the grace of a swan Mikoto flipped into the air and brought her leg down upon Naruto's shoulder sending him to the ground.

Before she could finish him, he disappeared into a puff of smoke. Realizing what had happened she wore a smile filled with pride. Sensing chakra she watched as a fireball was sent at her from the side where Naruto had retreated to. Copying his technique she unleashed her own attack, the two katon techniques meeting in the middle for a brief power struggle.

It didn't last long as Naruto's gave way for another shadow clone to appear on his flank. As Mikoto was preoccupied with his fireball his plan was to strike with the shadow clone on her defenseless side. It was a sound strategy but he let her observe it too early! She shifted her attack toward the clone, instantly destroying it in the flames.

Naruto's attack continued straight toward her and it looked like it hit. He was unsure if he should continue when his attack began to weaken. It was then he saw her taking his fireball into her mouth with little effort. As soon as it had disappeared she unleashed the attack back at him, forcing him to move to the side.

_'I had no idea Mikoto-chan was so strong..how much about fire techniques does she know?'_

As he was sliding away he felt her close by and turned around. Mikoto had two kunai ready to strike while Naruto had hastily brought one up to defend himself. The truth was that she allowed him to know of her presence behind him to see his reaction, if she wanted to she could have struck him down.

"That's enough for this spar, Naruto."

She put her weapons away and he did the same. Mikoto got the feeling he was still holding back because of who she was otherwise she would not have been able to escape his sight so easily.

"From now on whenever we spar, consider me an enemy. Come at me with the intent to kill..understand?"

Naruto knew that he had hesitated when he fought against her. It just didn't feel right to go up against the woman he cared about so much. If it was for the sake of training though, he would break the habit.

"Understood."

Mikoto smiled, taking the edge off from their tense standoff. She rubbed his head in a comforting manner as she hoped she hadn't hurt his feelings.

"You did well for a sudden spar like that. Over this month's training you will get even better, I promise."

"I know that.." Naruto blushed, embarrassed by the treatment she was giving him.

She led him over to a tree where they sat together in the sunset. It was a nice change of pace from the rest of the day. In more ways than one it brought the two closer together, not just as shinobi but as mother and son.

"Good work today, Naruto. I mean it."

"I know Kaa-san..but I have to get even stronger. No one is going to pull punches during the exam and we only have one month.."

A hand brushed his whiskered cheek, calming him down. Mikoto showed him another one of her kind smiles, something so innocent he couldn't help but be awestruck.

"You are a brave one aren't you? Don't worry, our training together will make you the shinobi the others envy and the Uchiha Sasuki deserves. Isn't that good enough?"

When she put it like that it was hard to argue. There was something else he thought was just as important that Mikoto seemed to forget.

"Remember before the exam when you said that if I became a Chunin I could be with you?" She nodded, at the time it was her hope it would inspire him to go through with the exams.

Perhaps it meant more to him than she thought?

"I promise..I won't stop until I'm a shinobi that is strong enough to protect you and Sasuki. If I can protect my precious people it will be enough. That is my ninja way..and that is why I will do everything you say to become an Uchiha you can be proud of."

Mikoto felt like she had heard him say that before, but never in that way. The way he said it made her want to believe it as truth. No matter how much she thought about why it was he cared so much about her and Sasuki, she could never come up with an answer. She wondered if Itachi or Fugaku felt the same way..was this their way of passing on the legacy?

"Naruto.."

"So please don't worry about me during the training. Teach me everything there is to know about being an Uchiha..I won't fail you! I will-"

Her hand held his chin steady while she planted a kiss on his cheek, quieting his passionate speech. A blush spread across his face as he struggled to get his bearings. It had been so long since she had done something like that, it took him by surprise.

"That's enough Naruto..I believe you. We won't stop until you are strong enough to protect Sasuki and I, alright?"

Her arms enveloped him, bringing him close to her chest. The perfume she wore was intoxicating, her scent made obvious from today's harsh training drove him mad. For the thousandth time he wished he was older, old enough to embrace Mikoto the way he embraced Sasuki now.

_'For now Mikoto-chan..I am in your care. Please wait for me..'_

000

_A few days later..._

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hot Springs_

000

"Kaa-san..why are we going to a hot springs?"

Mikoto hid her smile and chuckled at his embarrassment. Even though there was a very good reason she was taking him to the hot springs, he still got so flustered at being around her in these kinds of situations. It was kind of cute.

"We need to train your body to handle heat, Naruto. As Uchiha this is where we should be most comfortable after all. Besides, we can also work on your chakra control with water walking."

Her smile did not help make him feel any better. It was as if she planned the entire trip around trying to make him feel this way.

"Don't be silly Naruto, everything I'm having you do has a purpose. This one just happens to have something fun mixed into the training!"

That attempt of making it sound legitimate failed, but she wondered if anything could be said to make him feel better at that point. They entered and set up two baths next to one another for their personal uses so both would have privacy. This put the blonde at ease, if only for a little bit.

After arriving at their personal bath they quickly stripped from their clothes in the changing room and donned a modest towel. Naruto exited first and tried to calm his nerves by getting comfortable in the warm water. It was a bit more than he was used to but he held it together; Mikoto said an Uchiha could handle it, so he would handle it.

"_Naruto-kun, are you alright?"_

Mikoto called through the bamboo separating their rooms. It was an open air spring as well so there was no roof to make it even more pleasing for those bathing. Situations like that it was much easier to relax when you didn't feel closed in with a roof over your head.

"Yeah..I'm fine!"

Mikoto had shed her towel and was relaxing in her water with barely a hint of the heat. Her back was to Naruto's side, her hair tied up with a few pins to keep it from getting wet. Even if it was for her son's training it was nice to be able to relax her body. If Naruto was bathing with her he would surely be embarrassed to see her like that, completely naked and totally relaxed.

The water made her large breasts stay afloat, slightly moving every time she would shift. Her shoulders and breasts were sore from wearing her flak jacket so often the past few weeks. It was a nice change of pace.

"You don't need to force yourself, Naruto. I asked for their hottest room."

"_No really..I-I'm good!"_

She laughed, his tough act was cute. Fugaku did the same when they were kids going to the springs. Itachi barely even whimpered, it made his father so frustrated. Thinking of her oldest son made her seize up.

It seemed whenever she gained time to relax she always thought of something that made her tense again.

"_Kaa-san?.."_

"Ah..I want you to practice focusing your chakra while in the water. A shinobi should be able to mold chakra no matter where he is so don't think this isn't important!"

"Alright!"

Naruto brought his hands into the ram hand sign and began focusing his chakra. It was hard he had to admit, being uncomfortable in the heat it was hard to concentrate. Kakashi's lessons reminded him about keeping a steady breathing pattern and a cleared mind, but it still wasn't easy. Especially when Mikoto was just one thin wall away, _completely_ _**naked**_.

That got him thinking on a totally different line of thought and made him all but forget about training. He tried to take a deep breath to get his mind off of that particular thought when he saw something odd on the wall. Someone with white hair was looking at Mikoto's side of the hot springs. It only took a moment to realize that this was a pervert that needed to be taken care of.

The idea of someone laying eyes on Mikoto..he couldn't bear the thought!

Hastily he got out of the water and put his towel back on. There was no time to think, this senseless peeping had to be stopped before he saw something.._important_. Shaking his head clear Naruto launched up and sent a brutal kick to the back of the man's head that sent both of them flying into Mikoto's spring.

The woman was taken by surprise when she saw a white and yellow flash land in her small hot spring. Before she could reach for her towel she saw Naruto surface first, his face was beet red but whether it was out of embarrassment or fury she could not tell. He was breathing heavily from rage and she had to admit he looked..impressive.

"Bastard, trying to look at Mi..ko..to?" Naruto turned his attention from the pervert to his his mother when he realized where he was.

Their eyes met for a moment; one in pure shock of the situation he was in, the other legitimately surprised and unsure of what to do. Naruto's eyes couldn't help themselves as they went lower and saw Mikoto's wonderful breasts freely floating in the water, they were perfectly shaped and an impressive size. Before his imagination could get any farther she finally reacted by grabbing her towel and covering herself.

Not even waiting for the other man to surface she grabbed both by the collar and threw them to the other side. Taking that as his hint Naruto quickly went to change his clothes as Mikoto did the same. Then they would have a talk with the pervert who had broken their awkward training session.

000

Mikoto quickly dried off and started putting her underwear on, thinking back to the precious moments in which she and Naruto were together. She would never admit to it but she admired his physique and thought it quite impressive for his age; an outline of his abs and defining pecs apart from his thickening biceps. At his age that kind of a look was something to be proud of, she wondered if he realized.

Her hand went to her chest when she remembered how his eyes watched her. He had been so taken up by her chest..she wondered if he thought it was impressive. Fugaku had never made many compliments to her figure and so she never thought of herself as being pretty, at least not since she was a little girl. It made her blush to think she was attractive to someone.

As she slipped into her pants she also realized how angry he had been about someone peeping on her. While she would hope anyone would be angry in that kind of situation and put a stop to it, it made her happy he cared about her enough to feel that way.

_'Sasuki..I wonder what kind of expression he would have made if you were here instead? If he sees me as just a mother..mmm, I can't think like that.'_

Mikoto quickly got dressed and headed out. They needed to deal with this pervert quickly so they could get back to training.

000

"Jiraiya-sama?"

"Ah Mikoto-chan..I'm really sorry! Please forgive me!"

Jiraiya was on his knees praying for forgiveness from the Uchiha matriarch. Naruto had quickly gotten himself dressed and dragged the man outside by the collar. He didn't know who he was but apparently he was important enough that Mikoto had to address him that way. That only served to confuse him further; why would a pervert deserve such a title?

"What are you doing back in Konoha?"

"You see I came back for some research on my book and thought I would stop by the hot springs. Then I saw a beautiful young woman and thought I should take some notes..I had no idea it was you!"

Mikoto crossed her arms, "Flattery will get you nowhere. I know what kind of books and 'research' you do, Kushina told me."

Naruto's eyes widened, his mother knew him too? Who was this guy?

"Please Mikoto-chan, remember the good times we had in the past as friends!"

The woman did not budge, frowning.

"I don't remember them as being good."

"Kaa-san..who is this person?"

Their attention turned toward the boy and she realized he hadn't been formally introduced. It was a bit sad considering how significant he was not only to the village but to Naruto's parents.

"This is Jiraiya of the Sannin, one of the three great ninja taught by the Third Hokage. Your mother introduced him to me in the past but as you can see, his hobbies aren't something I like."

As if a stone had been dropped on his head, Jiraiya fell even lower to the ground. Naruto had a difficult time painting the picture of this Jiraiya person being a great shinobi. If Mikoto said it was true though he supposed it was.

"Please Mikoto, can't we just forget about this and start over?"

"I think that will be difficult.."

Mikoto eyed the pitiful sight that was Jiraiya and began to come up with a perfect plan to make Naruto's month of training even better. All she needed was to keep the guilt train rolling.

"If you don't want to be reported to the Hokage and kicked out _again_..I'll make you a deal."

Jiraiya perked up at this while Naruto watched from afar, interested in what plan Mikoto had come up with. Whatever it was, her sly grin was something to be afraid of.

"Naruto will be participating in the third exam of the chunin exams and this is his training month. If you promise to train him on the weekends then I will forget seeing you here. You also can't spy on me under any circumstances."

That was apparently a tough bargain as the older ninja hesitated in responding. Not satisfied Mikoto looked at Naruto and waved him over.

"Naruto, go get the Hokage and tell him his student is causing trouble again."

"Understood."

Just before the blonde Uchiha could take off Jiraiya brought up a hand in surrender.

"WAIT! I agree to the deal."

Mikoto smiled in victory, that would make things a lot easier. She was sure that even from the lazy and perverted Jiraiya, Naruto could learn something useful.

"Good, expect him to come and find you somewhere around here tomorrow. Naruto, let's go."

As they separated, Naruto couldn't help but look back and wonder if that guy would be useful to him at all. Even if he was one of the legendary Sannin it was clear his priorities were more selfish than they were to actually help. Still, as long as they blackmailed him Jiraiya had to teach him something, right?

000

"So she really did mean I would have to train you? This sucks.."

"I'm not happy about it either but she is expecting a lot from you. So far, I'm not impressed."

Naruto found Jiraiya skulking around the hot springs again, just like Mikoto warned. When the sannin was discovered he made enough noise that the women found out and quickly left, ruining his research. While that made room for his training time with Naruto, it didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

"How about you water walk. That's a good chakra building exercise.." Jiraiya was trying to think of simple exercises to keep him occupied while he figured out what to do with him.

"I already know how to do that." Naruto quickly demonstrated by walking on the nearby river that flowed through the market district.

This frustrated Jiraiya as he didn't want to do anything really complicated. If he wasn't careful though the deal could get called off and he would be forced to stop peeking on the girls. That was something he couldn't allow.

"If you aren't going to teach me anything useful I might as well head back home."

"Wait! I have something that only two people have ever been able to use, you will want to learn about it."

Skeptical, Naruto returned to Jiraiya who quickly demonstrated by holding out his hand and gathering chakra. Soon enough he created a working rasengan in front of the younger boy.

Now that he had the kid he just needed to keep him occupied. Since he already had chakra control, Jiraiya decided to start him out with something a bit more advanced. For the rest of the day Naruto practiced popping water and rubber balloons. His level of chakra control meant he had little trouble by the end of the day and he had destroyed a number of the training tools.

"That's enough for today. You aren't as bad as I thought kid.."

"Maybe you actually know something useful after all.."

They both admitted something they weren't proud of, damaging the others reputation. For now at least they had a mutual understanding of what to expect for the rest of the month. If training Naruto how to create a rasengan would keep Mikoto off his back then that was something he was willing to do.

000

_A week later.._

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

000

Naruto opened the gate and reentered the quiet comfort of the Uchiha compound. He was just coming back from his training with Jiraiya where he continued to try and replicate the rasengan on his own. While the practice techniques themselves were relatively easy to handle, combining them was still a heavy task. Still he was confident he could complete it before the month's end.

No, he _would_ complete it.

Other than that Jiraiya had also introduced him to another technique, one that he had heard of before. Summoning jutsu weren't something that genin commonly learned but at that point calling Naruto normal was pretty difficult. For now, the toad sage had him trying to summon the chakra to bring out the boss toad which so far had eluded him.

Jiraiya seemed to have some sort of plan for this that he said he would try out next week if they still couldn't get it to work. He seemed a little too amused after coming up with whatever it was which worried the blonde. Still, he couldn't say the pervert hadn't been somewhat useful the past two weeks.

Naruto entered the inner compound that housed the clan head's house, his home. He wondered what the rest of the day held for him. That all depended on if Mikoto felt like continuing his training. Since he got off early from Jiraiya she may not be forgiving and force him into another spar. If he had time he wanted to try reading through some of the scrolls Itachi left behind, there might be something he could use.

Before he could make it far into the house Mikoto revealed herself, emerging from the indoor dojo. Seeing him home brought a smile to her face and it seemed as though she had something especially planned for this occurrence.

"Welcome home."

"Thanks..is something going on?"

Her smile widened as she beckoned him to come with her.

"You catch on quick. After you said you were learning the toad summoning, I felt there was something I could add."

She explained that the Uchiha had their own summon loyal only to the clan. It was only a select few who were allowed to sign the summoning contract, and even fewer who were accepted by the summons as partners. Mikoto hoped that with a dual contract Naruto could not only continue the Uchiha mantle but get the best of both worlds.

"So what is this summon?"

Naruto asked, his curiosity peaked. They entered the dojo where his mother had already set up the necessary seals and the summoning contract itself.

"I'll introduce you to two who might be seen as representatives.."

Mikoto positioned herself in front of the seal and bit her thumb, spreading the blood onto the floor.

"**Kuchiyose!**"

A puff of smoke appeared shortly after she slammed her hand onto the ground, hiding the two small figures from view. Waiting with bated breath, the blonde watched as the smoke cleared and two small felines remained standing. Both of them wore an article of clothing over their bodies and had facial designs to make them unique to a common house cat.

Otherwise you might never suspect they were shinobi cats.

"Well well, been a while since we've been summoned, eh Hina?" Denka stretched his legs as if he had just been sleeping half the day.

"We didn't think we would be hearing from you again Miko-nyan." Hina looked up at the clan master who just smiled, she had known these two since she was a child.

"Denka, Hina. This is my son Naruto, I'd like it if we could set up a contract for him." The two cats set their eyes on Naruto and wandered over, taking in his scent.

They spent a lot of time combing over every aspect of him and he wondered what kind of information they were gathering. For Naruto's part he just sat still and waited for the awkward test to end. Even as a ninja he was most used to normal animals or household pets, knowing these cats could easily kill him if he weren't careful gave him an unsettled stomach.

"I don't mean to pry Miko-chan but.." Denka sniffed again, making sure he was getting his information right. "are you sure this is your son? I remember Itachi and Sasuki but this one is new."

They must have been unable to detect something in his scent that would make him Mikoto's, like pheromones. The matriarch took the comment in stride, placing a hand on Naruto's head and lovingly petted him.

"We are family in everything but blood, Denka. I knew his mother very well before she passed."

The two cats looked at one another before accepting the explanation. They had a similar respect for the dead and wouldn't pry further lest they bother Naruto.

"Well if you approve Miko-chan, Nyaruto can meet with the boss."

Mikoto fished out a small bottle of what looked like catnip and threw it at the cats. Hina deftly caught it and they didn't seem surprised about it. He guessed there must have been some unspoken agreement between the Uchiha and cats that required a tribute.

"Denka?"

"Let's do it Hina."

The two used the seal Mikoto had already created and funneled their own chakra through to summon Nekomata. The boss cat, Naruto wasn't sure what to expect.

"I'll warn you now..he is a little overbearing." Mikoto whispered into Naruto's ear, as much as she didn't like it, it was something he had to handle himself.

A large puff of smoke appeared that barely covered the beast. This was a bakeneko, a creature of nightmares. Naruto wasn't sure what to think as the cat launched forward to strike. It was white with black stripes along its back, its yellow piercing eyes used to stun its victims with fear.

Naruto's reaction might have been too slow originally but thanks to Mikoto's training he was able to activate his sharingan and dodge the claw that swung for his head. With quick reflexes he was able to avoid the next few strikes and even retaliated by striking Nekomata's arms at the joint, even if it didn't have any noticeable effect.

Mikoto could only sit and watch with bated breath as her son literally fought for his life. Denka and Hina watched with her from the sidelines, nodding their heads whenever something impressive happened.

"He is holding Nekomata off rather well I think."

"The boss hasn't grunted this much since Itachi-nyan."

_'Come on Naruto, let him draw blood. It will all be over after that..'_

The battle continued to drag on for over a minute with neither side giving in. Finally Naruto grabbed a kunai and struck out against the large cat, drawing blood on its arm. In exchange, the cat took a chunk from Naruto's.

"Naruto!" Mikoto ran to him, allowing him to fall into her arms.

"**Not bad kid..Itachi was the last one to do that."**

"Hina, heal him!"

The female cat looked to her leader for the response. He had the smallest inkling of a smile on his face. With a nod the summon moved over to Naruto and put her paws on the bloodied arm, slowly enveloping him in healing chakra. His scarred eye watched over the young boy who had earned his trust.

"So what do you think boss?" Denka asked, already knowing the answer.

"**Let him sign. Let's hope things turn out well for the Uchiha.."**

"With our help, maybe it will."

Nekomata disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the rest up to his underlings. Naruto pulled through and signed just as Mikoto wanted. He was one step closer to becoming the shinobi his family needed him to be.

There were just a few challenges left.

000

"Gamabunta-san, stop it!"

"I can't hear you!"

Naruto had succeeded in summoning the boss toad alright, he just couldn't get him to agree to anything. Now he was holding on for dear life while the toad tried to figure out if he was worth it or not. Just like the time with Nekomata Naruto could not allow himself give up half way.

His fiery determination was pissing Gamabunta off. Something about the kid threw him off, he looked too much like the Yondaime. Maybe that was where his spirit came from if they really were related.

"Why don't you give up?!"

"I have people to protect..and I NEED YOUR HELP!"

After a particularly high jump the boss toad came to a stop. What the hell was this kid on about?

"What did you say kid? Me help you?"

Naruto knew he had to sell it now. Jiraiya warned him about Gamabunta and how stubborn he was.

"I know you have no reason to help me but, I need your strength. The people who took me in and gave me a life, I want to protect them with everything I have. To do that I need help..and I would like to ask you for that."

"Hmph. That's an interesting dream you have there."

"It's more than a dream, it is my ninja way. Can you help me or not, boss toad?"

Gamabunta laughed, his laugh echoed throughout the silent valley in which they were residing. It had been a long time since someone addressed him like that.

"You know, you sound a lot like someone I used to know. For you, it is just Gamabunta."

"Sorry Gamabunta..it's just-" Naruto was having difficulty putting his plea into words, he felt like a broken record.

"Alright kid..I get it. Stop with the begging, Uchiha should be better than that."

Naruto's eyes widened, he knew that much?

"I'm not sure if your ninja way will work out or not but..I wouldn't be much of a leader if I refused. Uchiha don't ask unless they mean what they say."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he had the toads and cats on his side then he may have been making progress after all.

"Let's go tell Jiraiya our deal. Knowing him he's off peeping on some girls."

The two shared a laugh as they headed off, sure to interrupt whatever precious research the sannin was making. With his work on the rasengan almost complete and his sparring finished up, Naruto was just about ready to participate in the third exam. Now that he had gained the loyalty of two powerful summons, he felt like there was nothing that could stand in his way.

000

"Go ahead Sasuki."

Kakashi watched from a rocky outcropping as Sasuki gathered chakra in her right hand. Just as he had taught her for the past month, she gathered the lightning chakra and allowed it to flow freely.

Sasuki charged forward, cracking the ground beneath her from the power of her jutsu. She reached the large boulder and plunged her arm into it, unleashing the power of Chidori onto the earth. It punched a clean hole straight through and sent fissures throughout the entire rock. Only a few moments after the strike the boulder collapsed into debris showing off the girl's successful strike.

The Uchiha took a moment to marvel at her own handiwork before smiling. All the hard training Kakashi put her through was finally paying off now that she could see the results first hand. To signify her new strength, Sasuki now wore a black Uchiha jumpsuit, the legs cut into shorts. As suggested by Kakashi she had an elbow pad on her right arm to help her better control the Chidori and protect herself during training.

"Nicely done..do it again on something bigger."

Not one to ask for something simple, Kakashi spurred her on to strike again. He wouldn't stop until she was unable to gather chakra. To some it may seem harsh but as the future matriarch of the Uchiha and target of Orochimaru, Sasuki couldn't afford to give up halfway.

"I was just about to say the same thing Kakashi.." Gathering chakra in her arm again, her thoughts wandered back home to Mikoto and Naruto.

_'I won't lose no matter what! Nothing is going to stop me from winning the exams..I won't make it easy for you Naruto, you better not have slacked off while I was gone!'_

Her challenge set, Sasuki charged forward with one goal in mind. She wouldn't stop until the title of Chunin was hers.

000

"Well done Shino. This concludes the month of training."

"Thank you for your support."

Shino and his father stood among the treetops, deep in Konoha's forests. All around them buzzed kikaichu, freshly released for the advanced jutsu they had been using a few moments ago. From an outsider's standpoint they all looked the same but to the Aburame, each insect was an extension of themselves.

That was something Shibi tried to teach Shino during their month of training, how he could better rely on the insects to help him in battle rather than just as a tool of combat. Hopefully it would be enough to see him through to the end of the Chunin exams or at least help his teammates stay alive in the future.

"I should go see your mother before my next mission. Don't stay out too long Shino."

"Yes sir."

Shibi disappeared with his kikaichu leaving his son to his own thoughts. Not one for long speeches, the boy settled for wishing his teammates tidings for the coming exam.

_'It's time for the final. Naruto, Sasuki..let's meet again soon and finish this together.'_

000

Sorry about some of the rushed stuff, I didn't want to rewatch episodes and write word for word what happened. Naruto gets two summoning contracts, trains with Jiraiya and Mikoto and learns some good stuff. Switching up my writing schedule must have been a good idea if I could write this much in one day.

Not sure which chapter I'll write next nor when I'll be able to. Finals are coming up and projects are getting crammed in, I'm just glad I could finish this.

See ya next time.


	17. A True Uchiha

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 17

A True Uchiha

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

Time once again for an update with the _Blonde Uchiha_. I am sure you are all ready to get into it, so I will make these announcements short.

When you are done reading, go check out my profile and use the poll if the content interests you. I want to hear reader opinions. If you vote other, please send me a private message as seven people have voted for it and have yet to actually tell me their suggestion. I cannot read minds.

Sasuki's Chidori is in her right hand rather than her left. Other than it being her dominant hand, no other reason for making it different than Sasuke. No big mystery, hopefully it doesn't bother you much.

Let's read.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Stadium_

000

Naruto walked with his mother Mikoto as they entered the stadium for the third exam. The month of training was finally over and the genin could finally prove they had what it took to become chunin. Everyone else was funneling into the arena for the beginning match, so Naruto wouldn't be able to walk Mikoto to her seat.

They paused in the shade, right inside the entrance. It was their last chance to exchange words before Naruto would enter the maw, reach the point of no return.

Mikoto had confidence in him, but she was still nervous. Not only for Naruto but Sasuki as well. It must have been her motherly instincts. Right now though, she had to be strong for the little boy in front of her. He needed to know that she was right behind him.

"Naruto-kun..this is it." Mikoto smiled. "Don't forget your training that Jiraiya-sama and I worked so hard on."

Naruto shared her expression, confident that he would be victorious. The faith of many were resting on him to succeed, so he couldn't just let them down by losing his first match. If he wanted to be a chunin, Naruto had to act like one.

"Don't worry Miko-chan. I'll make sure everyone remembers who the Uchiha are after my match." There was no doubt that today would be an unforgettable day.

His confidence seemed to be infectious as the nervousness Mikoto felt went away. Maybe things would turn out better than she expected. They _were_ Uchiha after all. It would take more than a Hyūga and Suna to shake the most powerful clan in Konoha.

"Well, I guess I'll see you after the exam. Wish me luck, Kaa-san."

Naruto began to make his way out to the cheering crowd. He stopped when he heard his mother call out to him. When he turned around, he got an unexpected surprise.

Mikoto grabbed his chin and moved his hitai-ate out of the way. She then laid a soft kiss on her son's forehead that made his body freeze up. When she smiled, it took Naruto's breath away.

"Your back has become much more manly, Naruto-kun. Good luck." That marked Mikoto's departure, leaving the rest to Naruto.

_'Mikoto..'_ Naruto adjusted his headband, blushing.

With a smile he turned and made his way to the rest of the genin, but that time with a bit more skip in his step.

000

_'God, can we just get this moving along? Such a drag..'_

Shikamaru stood on the mock battlefield, hands in pocket, waiting impatiently for the jounin instructor to get things moving. The loud and annoying crowd was getting on his nerves, not to mention he couldn't sit down while he waited. No, he had to stand up like a proud Konoha shinobi, his dad said.

Bored, his eyes wandered around the field to take in the sights. People were everywhere, as anyone could have guessed. It didn't look like one seat was free in the entire place. Nobles, shinobi, and even common citizens all made up the audience and all of them kept shouting and jeering for things to start.

His fellow genin weren't near as interesting as they all stood there, waiting quietly. The Suna shinobi stayed near each other in the line, their faces devoid of any real emotion. Shikamaru made it a point to avoid any kind of eye contact with Gaara lest the psycho actually take notice.

Neji was doing the same thing as Shikamaru, scoping out those who remained. He for one was not afraid to watch Gaara and had no qualms with returning the glare the red head sent at him. That wasn't his main concern though as he looked around for his opponent, the so-called blonde Uchiha.

_'A joke is what he is..'_ Neji thought without a tinge of humor. _'..Uchiha or not, I will show him what superior eyes are. Then we will see which is the strongest clan.'_

The two Konoha genin noticed Naruto enter the arena at around the same time. He was sporting a different outfit than his usual black jumpsuit since the month of training was over.

Now Naruto wore a black short sleeve, which still retained the high collar, as well as a charcoal sash tied around his waist. Black pants went down to his sandals where they were tightly tucked in. Everyone behind him could see the Uchiha symbol on his back and automatically the crowd started to cheer with the sight of such a prestigious clan on the field.

It was a symbol of Naruto's transformation. He wanted to show everyone he wasn't the same old Naruto that started the exams. Now he was ready to prove himself better than all the rest.

Naruto walked over to Shikamaru and stood next to him. He nodded to his friend in greeting before he turned his eyes forward, still smiling. After Mikoto's display, he couldn't shake the confidence that had enveloped him. It was like all of the Uchiha were right there with him, feeding him strength.

"Looks like something good happened if you have such a silly grin on your face." The Nara said with a smile of his own.

"You could say that. I'm just excited to get started." They looked at the jounin instructor and it was obvious he was waiting for Sasuki to show up.

"Well you may not have to wait long. If your sister doesn't show up, they may have you go instead."

The Uchiha, both Naruto and Sasuki, were popular attractions for the nobles and shinobi present. If one didn't go, the crowd might get ugly. In some cases, the only reason some of the feudal lords were even in Konoha was to see the strength of the Uchiha after the massacre. They wanted to see if the survivors were any good which could very well influence their support of Konoha.

Naruto wasn't too concerned about it though. There was no way Sasuki would miss her match. If they were staying late then it meant that the training wasn't finished yet. His sister wasn't someone that let things stay half done.

"Alright guys, listen up!" Genma, the new proctor for the third exam, spoke up. "Here is how things are going to go. The matches you are participating in are the same as the preliminaries you fought in last month, except for the fact that it is a bracket style tournament. Unless you lose, expect to have to fight someone else."

Depending on how hard it was to defeat their first opponent, they might not have much energy to continue to the next round. It would force them to save their stamina rather than go all out. To win they would have to play intelligently.

"First match was supposed to be Sasuki vs Gaara, but since the girl isn't showing up, the Hokage has decided to move forward with Naruto's match against Neji. You two, step up." Naruto and Neji both took a step forward. "The rest of you head up to that contestant box and wait for your names to be called."

The rest turned to leave as Naruto and Neji turned to face one another. Shikamaru wished Naruto luck-he would need it against the Hyūga.

When everyone realized who was participating in the first match, the cheers intensified. Uchiha vs Hyūga, now that was something to get the gambling started! Whispers between seats spread as everyone started taking bets on who would win and how they would do it.

Mikoto was in the stands with a front row seat to the match. She leaned against the railing as she prepared to watch Naruto fight against Neji. All her confidence was resting with him now. There was no way Naruto would let her down.

Shino watched his team-mate from the waiting area. He could tell from Naruto's demeanor that something had definitely changed that month of training. Whatever it was, he doubted Neji was prepared to handle it.

Genma waved for the two to step forward, now just a few feet from each other. Although they barely knew each other there was a sense of familiar animosity that poured from the both of them. They both had a lot riding on that match to prove themselves.

The pride Naruto felt about the Uchiha came from Mikoto and Sasuki and the feelings they gave him. That was why he felt compelled to do his best and spread the name. He didn't do it out of selfish or arrogant reasons like Neji did. That was what pissed him off so much, that the genin in front of him took such advantage of his family name and disgraced his fellow Hyūga.

"It's time for destiny to reveal who is truly deserving. Prepare yourself, Uchiha." It was time to give their passing taunts before the match, so Neji started early.

"No, it's time to show you a little humility. Don't try and disgrace my clan with cheap talk." The blonde's rhetoric made Neji's face twist in anger, how dare he?

"Okay, begin!" Genma launched back to allow their match to start.

Naruto started by retreating back a few paces. While he reached into his waist pouch for something, Neji got into a familiar stance of _Jūken_, the Gentle Fist technique unique to his clan. After seeing his battle against Hinata, Naruto knew that he would have to avoid close combat if he could help it. Considering the conditions of the battle, a summoning wouldn't be very useful either.

No, he would have to defeat him with ninjutsu.

_'Let's start by testing his defense.'_ Naruto thought as he revealed a few shuriken and sent them flying toward his opponent.

With ease, the Hyūga caught each weapon with a finger. He spun them around a bit before releasing the kunai back at Naruto, but the weapons were just to occupy Neji. In the meantime, Naruto was going through hand seals for his next attack.

"**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!**" The blonde made a small "o" around his mouth as dozens of small fireballs were shot from his lips.

With no small amount of grace and agility, Neji weaved in and out of the projectiles. He had demonstrated something similar in close combat with Hinata, so given the amount of time and distance between him and the attack it must have been even easier to dodge. That meant it would take a lot more if Naruto was going to beat him.

Unfortunately, Neji wasn't one to sit around when faced with a strong opponent and he ran forward. At first Naruto was able to weave in and out of his attacks, but they were fast and accurate. When the first hit landed, Naruto was sent flying back and struggled back to his feet.

_'Damn..this kind of attack on my chakra points is more than just physical pain. Kyuubi, can you do anything?'_ Naruto and the Nine Tails were on speaking terms and he wasn't about to let that resource go to waste.

"_**I'll see what I can do, but stop messing around. If you want to go toe to toe with the Byakugan, activate your Sharingan. You can read his moves and dodge with greater speed."**_

Kyuubi didn't like the sharingan, but that did not mean it didn't recognize the abilities it had. With it, Naruto was a jinchuuriki the chakra beast wasn't so totally embarrassed to share a body with.

"Alright.." Naruto got back up and rolled the shoulder that got hit, popping the bone. "Guess this really will be a fight between eyes."

Neji was no longer looking into innocent blue eyes but sharp, threatening red sharingan. It was finally time to get serious, he thought with a smirk. He settled back into a defensive posture as he sensed an attack coming soon.

"**Kage Bunshin!**" A few clones of Naruto came running forward, all with kunai ready.

Staying in one spot, Neji deflected the first one's outstretched arm so that the clone ran past him. The next two worked in concert and forced him to use both hands to hold their arms. He activated his Byakugan and saw that the one behind him had thrown its kunai, heading straight for his back.

With great strength, Neji threw one of the clones behind him and into the attack. With his free hand he sent a sharp hit into the other clone's head, destroying it. Two more were headed for him, one from the front and the other from behind. Using his Byakugan, it wasn't easy to differentiate which one was the clone, but he was able to plan a defense around their collaboration.

The one that came from behind watched Neji's movement carefully and crouched low in an attempt to sweep his legs out from under him. It failed as Neji jumped into the air and kicked Naruto in the face, popping the clone.

Naruto released a few shuriken while Neji was in midair, forcing him to try and catch each one.

Neji was able to do so and immediately threw them back, impaling Naruto in the chest. Something about the attack was too easy though, and when the clone devolved into a puff of smoke, everyone realized that the real Naruto was still at large.

A powerful hit from the back of Naruto's fist sent Neji flying to the side. It took everyone by surprise as one minute Neji stood in the middle of the field alone—suddenly from his shadow, Naruto appeared with the powerful hit. There was no defense against that, not when the Hyūga was overconfident with his defense.

The elders of Neji's clan grimaced in response. For someone of their clan, even a branch member, to allow someone to get so close was shameful indeed.

To the rest, it was reason enough to cheer even louder. Not even Mikoto could help it, her usually calm demeanor broken when she began to clap after the hit landed.

"How..did you.." Neji stumbled back onto his feet. He clearly was not used to getting hit with such raw strength.

"I hid in your shadow during the scuffle with my clones, waiting for the right moment to appear. So much for an impenetrable defense." With no small amount of teasing, Naruto brushed some dirt from his shoulder with a nonchalant tone.

"You bastard..don't look down on me!" Neji charged forward and he was on Naruto in an instant, sending strike after strike for his vital points.

With the sharingan, Naruto was able to read his movements before he sent the attacks. It was tough keeping up with Neji though and his stamina was slowly wearing down. The speed in which they were both moving was hard to follow to the observers as Naruto weaved in and out of the palm strikes.

_'Come on..come on..why can't I land a hit?!'_ The first time wasn't luck on the Hyūga's part, so why couldn't he hit Naruto again?

The Uchiha grabbed his arm after the latest miss, stopping Neji in his tracks. With a powerful uppercut, Naruto sent Neji flying up into the air. Unable to respond in time, the overwhelmed genin could only watch as his opponent copied a very deadly technique from his own team-mate.

"Impossible.." Gai watched from the stands as Naruto began the Omote Renge, Front Lotus.

Rock Lee watched from the stairs next to his teacher, leaning on his crutch. Neji was in the air receiving a good amount of kicks to his neck-forcing him even higher. Not much longer and Naruto would give him the finishing blow, Lee thought with a grimace. He felt bad for his team-mate as he knew the kind of pain he must have been in, not only physically but mentally as well.

The amount of pride Neji had to let himself fall prey to such a familiar technique, it must have been too much.

Before Naruto could deliver another strike, a puff of smoke appeared and revealed that his opponent had been replaced by a log. The blonde fell back down to the arena floor, clutching his stomach as his muscles ripped from the power required for the attack. Neji was lucky he had escaped the final bit, but the rest of attack should have seriously wounded him.

Wherever he was hiding, he must have been in as bad of shape as Naruto was.

Genma's eyes searched the arena floor trying to figure out where the other one went. The battle so far had been intense, but lopsided. Naruto clearly put more effort into his training, but not only that, his heart was in the match.

Neji couldn't achieve that, not when he was willing to let fate handle the cards of his life.

"..." Naruto panted, forming a familiar hand sign. "**Kage Bunshin!**" The three blondes stood up in a triangle formation, giving Naruto a commanding view of the battlefield.

It wasn't long before shuriken came flying from the top of a nearby tree, forcing him to go through hand signs. He wasn't going to let his guard down just because of a few toys.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" Naruto guided the fireball stream all along his front vision, knocking the projectiles away.

"You shouldn't let your guard down!" Through the fire, just a few feet from Naruto, came Neji with his two fingers ready to strike at the blonde's forehead.

Everyone's eyes widened, how did he get so close? The answer was clear when they took a second look at the Byakugan user-his skin burning in some places. He had done a similar trick to Naruto's and hid in the shadow of the kunai, flying straight through the blaze in order to get close.

_'If I can just seal his chakra points around the eyes, his only advantage will be gone!'_

Moments before Neji's strike landed, the battlefield filled with smoke as his target, a clone, popped. As shock registered on his face, he was in for a bigger surprise as Naruto came flying out from in front of him. In his palm was some kind of loud, moving sphere of chakra that was headed straight for Neji's gut.

"Same to you!" Naruto retorted moments before his first rasengan landed a direct hit on Neji's stomach, making him scream in pain.

Eyes locked on Naruto's technique. First Genma recognized it, then the Sandaime, then Mikoto, and all the rest of the jounin and shinobi that had been alive during the Fourth's life. The technique had been learned by Naruto, but how?

The technique launched Neji back across the arena, tumbling through the dirt until he came to a very slow stop. Just barely conscious, he watched as Naruto crossed his arms in disappointment. Though his ears were too far away and his senses were fading, the Byakugan told him what Naruto's last words were to him.

"_How's that for destiny?"_

Silence enveloped the arena as they waited to see if the Hyūga would get back up. When he didn't and the proctor announced Naruto the winner, the crowd erupted in applause. Much money was won or lost on that match alone, so much so a few had to take out loans or prepare to leave early.

Mikoto cheered with everyone else, her grin unbeatable in the pride it radiated. There was no doubt that Naruto had once again proven himself worthy of the Uchiha name. His display during the match showed great technique and intuition, as well as a small bit of improvising.

"Naruto, nice work. Especially with that rasengan, wasn't expecting that." Genma sent him up to the contestant box before calling Shikamaru and Temari down for their match.

Naruto nodded in thanks. At first he wasn't sure whether it would be a good idea to use the technique so early, but after using the Lotus on Neji, it didn't seem like anything else would get through to him.

All that was on Naruto's mind was Sasuki's upcoming match. He couldn't wait to see his sister after so long, the power she must have gotten from training with Kakashi. It would have been substantial if they were taking so long. There was no doubt that she would win her match, and he would be there to root for her.

After all, that was what Naruto was happy to do.

000

In a string of mediocre matches, the crowd's cheers had fallen to boos again. They could delay no longer for Sasuki's arrival. Luckily, they wouldn't have to bother for much longer.

A puff of smoke in the middle of the arena signaled a new arrival. Kakashi and Sasuki appeared, just as Genma was about to announce the cancellation of the match.

"Sorry about being late. We made it, right?" The jounin asked the proctor, a bit of sarcasm laced in his voice.

Genma smiled, rolling the senbon in his mouth. That was a good one, he would have to remember that for later.

"You are a lucky man, Kakashi. If you made the Uchiha miss her match, the Hokage might have had to fire you."

"Lucky indeed then." Kakashi looked down at his charge. Sasuki stood tall and proud as the crowds cheered her clan's name.

She was ready.

"Proctor, did we miss Naruto's first match?" She asked, curious about how her brother fared.

That was her one regret in having to stay late to train. There was a good chance that they would miss Naruto's match. It would be alright though, as long as he won, she would be happy.

"Yeah ya did. Don't worry about it too much though, 'cause the blonde beat Neji." Genma smirked, remembering the match. "Barely broke a sweat."

The two older shinobi watched the young girl breathe a sigh of relief. It had clearly been bothering her. That kind of concern for her brother showed dedication.

"Alright, we've delayed your match enough. Good luck, Sasuki!" Kakashi disappeared in a blur, leaving them to wait for Gaara to arrive.

In the meantime, her eyes wandered the arena. She was able to make out Mikoto watching her from the stands, her calm eyes belying her happiness upon seeing Sasuki. It took a bit longer but she was able to see Shino in the contestant box, stoic as always.

That was when she saw _him_ standing next to her team-mate.

Naruto may have had a new outfit, but he hadn't changed his looks any. That didn't stop her from taking in his new appearance when she noticed that something was different. His stance showed he was carrying himself in a different way. Something big must have happened while they were apart. Sasuki couldn't wait to talk to him, hold his hand, even kiss.

Their time apart only served to remind her how much she missed Naruto. How much she relied on him to be there for her. Whenever she was hurt, or lonely, or feeling sad—he was always there with a smile. That was something she didn't want to be separated from.

"Oi, Sasuki." She was woken from her stupor when she realized Gaara and Genma were waiting. "You can talk to your boyfriend later, let's start the match."

Sasuki turned to face Gaara, her previous elation totally erased. This boy was standing her way of success and there was no way she was willing to lose.

The proctor looked between them for a moment to decide if they were ready. Noticing neither of them so much as flinched during their stay in the arena, it was clear their minds were only on one thing—the fight. No point in delaying any longer, the people were hungry and these genin were clearly ready to start.

"Begin!" As soon as the match started, sand poured from Gaara's gourd and began to float around him.

Sensing danger, Sasuki retreated back to a safe distance. Gaara was mumbling something incoherent, only reinforcing her belief he was a freak of nature. It wasn't like her to give the opponent the initiative, so she grabbed a few shuriken and threw them at Gaara.

His sand reacted automatically, blocking the projectiles with ease. Then she decided to charge ahead, but a sand clone got in her way. Sasuki landed a shot at his stomach, but the sand began to cover her fist. She followed it up with a powerful strike to its head, dispersing the clone. Before the sand could reform, she appeared in front of Gaara with great speed.

The sand reacted at the last moment, blocking her strike. Sasuki smirked, now it was time for her to show what she had learned.

In a blur, she disappeared and then came back behind Gaara. Not even his sand could react in time as she sent him flying with a powerful kick. Though the coarse particles covered his fall, it was not enough to stop his cracking sand armor from faltering.

Gai and Lee watched on, now joined by Kakashi. The other genin were nearby too, all amazed at Sasuki's speed. She was like Lee now, just like during his match against Gaara. With her flexibility and grace, she danced around Gaara's sand and continued to lay shot after shot on his armor.

_'Sasuki-chan..you truly are a genius. It took me years to attain that level of speed..and yet it only took you a month.'_ The bowl cut genin complimented her, though he noticed her lack of breath during the match.

_'But you have a tradeoff..your stamina can't let you keep that speed for long.'_

"Quite impressive Kakashi.." Gai said to his rival. "I suspect that you did more than just up her speed though."

Kakashi continued to watch the match. Every move his pupil made, he predicted before she completed it. They had drilled in preparation for fighting Gaara, almost any contingency had a response, a counter.

"You'll see." He responded absently.

"Amazing, look at Sasuki's moves!"

"I wish I could move like that!"

Ino and Sakura sat next to one another, clearly jealous of their fellow kunoichi. Since the academy they had admired Sasuki from afar, but were secretly jealous of her abilities. Now that she had only gotten stronger it served as something those two could unite against.

Now the others were starting to understand why Sasuki didn't like hanging out with other girls.

After being on the receiving end of enough hits, Gaara was tired of being a punching bag. His sand armor was cracked in a dozen places, his sand angrily buzzing around him. It was time for him to begin to release the beast and show the Uchiha true power. Then, he could prove his existence by killing someone that powerful.

Sasuki watched as Gaara made a hand sign and began to gather his sand into some sort of protecting dome. She realized that his defense would be impenetrable if she let him get that far. That meant she had to hit him now before he could finish the technique. Her feet carried her forward with great speed as the dome covered Gaara's body and began to solidify.

The punch she threw at the most recently covered spot failed, the sand barely cracking. She activated her sharingan just as spikes of sand formed and launched at her. They forced her to retreat and weave in and out of the deadly obstacles. Sasuki tried to catch her breath and realized she was bleeding in a few places, the adrenaline prevented her from feeling much pain.

_'If that's the way you are going to play..'_ She turned around and started running toward the arena wall. _'I need time to build up chakra for my technique anyway.'_

Naruto wondered what Sasuki was planning in her retreat. From what they saw so far, it was hard to penetrate Gaara's sand when it hardened into a static defense. His sand armor was a perfect example of that because even though Sasuki landed solid hits in the same spots, the armor didn't give way. That meant she would have to try a particularly powerful technique if she wanted to break through.

That was without Gaara's interference. Who knew what he was doing inside the barrier.

Sasuki went through a few hand signs before building up chakra in her right hand. It was time to unleash her most powerful technique—not even Gaara's sand stood a chance. She wondered if her technique would be enough to make Naruto jealous, or perhaps he had something similar already? For now, it was her chance to prove how strong she had become.

000

Everyone watched as lightning chakra became visible in Sasuki's hand. It was loud enough to grab most everyone's attention.

Mikoto recognized the technique with her sharingan. She had seen it when Kakashi had demonstrated it many years ago. To think he taught it to Sasuki, she wondered what his reasons were.

"Kakashi..teaching a technique like that to a genin.." Gai was going to go farther, but he was reminded of Lee.

He knew what it meant to care about a student's future. Sometimes it was enough to make you want to give them anything if it meant they would be strong enough to overcome an obstacle. Those techniques weren't always safe though-there was always a risk in giving it to the younger generation before they were ready.

Only time would tell if Sasuki would use it correctly.

"Sasuki has the strength and speed to harness its power. Not only that, but if she wants to keep up with Naruto this might be her only way." Kakashi responded, watching the Uchiha with great scrutiny.

If Jiraiya really did give him the rasengan and trained him during the month, then Naruto was far ahead of his sister. He knew their relationship was close, but jealousy and frustration could affect anyone.

"It's so loud.." Sakura said as the technique continued to gather strength.

"Sounds like birds.." Ino muttered, and Gai smiled a bit.

"Not just a few either..its a thousand."

000

"**Chidori!**" Sasuki charged forward with the intense lightning chakra cracking the wall beneath her arm.

The speed in which she made her attack with would effect her penetration and damage, so she had to go as fast as she could. Not only that, she had to ensure she avoided his defensive attacks. Regardless of where she attacked from those spikes would emerge from the dome, so she just had to make her attack count. With the sharingan, she had a limited ability to avoid the defense, but it wasn't foolproof.

Sasuki ran along the arena floor at blinding speed, her left hand had to hold her right arm steady. Just a few feet from Gaara's dome, the defenses launched out and again tried to impale her. She weaved her body in and out of their strikes, bringing her Chidori up for its thrust. It tore through the sand layers until it reached the inside. She latched onto Gaara's clothing and let the Chidori pierce skin.

"GAAHHHH! BLOOD! MY BLOOD!" Gaara's screams echoed the arena, sending a chill through the spectators.

Naruto was getting unsettled now. He saw his sister struggling to escape from the sand's embrace. If it was a different situation he would have rushed to her aide. The proctor didn't seem concerned though, so the match went on.

"Dammit..let go!" Sasuki built up lightning chakra again and finally was able to pull her arm back from inside.

She retreated outside of the range of his defenses, trying to see inside the hole she made. Something was moving on the inside, and it didn't look like Gaara. Then for a moment, a demonic eye stared back at her before disappearing. Sasuki was frozen in place. What was that?

The sand shield finally dropped as Gaara stood there, holding a bloodied shoulder. He glared murder at Sasuki before breaking into a run out of the arena. No one said anything as the red head ran up the wall and escaped into the village, effectively ending the match.

That was the least of the village's concerns as a genjutsu was cast over the spectators. In droves the majority of those watching the match fell asleep, leaving only the most attentive awake. Sakura, Kakashi, Gai, and a few others were able to keep themselves awake.

Hooded figures appeared from the audience, taking the form of Oto shinobi. They launched an attack on the awake Leaf shinobi to keep them occupied. ANBU leaped into action to support the Hokage, as a smoke screen obscured their view of the Kage observation deck.

Sasuki looked all around as the sounds of battle took over the arena again. It was no longer just a match, it was something much more. Naruto leaped down onto the arena with Shino close behind, reforming Team 7.

"Sasuki, are you alright?" Naruto asked, checking her wounds.

"I'm fine..more importantly, what's going on?" Genma ran over to them as the fighting did not subside.

Baki landed on the arena floor and linked up with Kankuro and Temari. There was no choice but to continue with the operation. Those two would have to go and retrieve Gaara and ensure things went according to plan with his transformation.

"You two, get moving and make sure the plan succeeds." The Suna genin took off running in the direction Gaara went while Konoha was forced to watch.

"Sasuki, Naruto, Shino." They snapped to as Genma spoke in a serious tone, his eyes focused on Baki. "This isn't just some match anymore. It's a mission to make sure whatever the hell they have planned doesn't happen."

"So, we stop Gaara?" Sasuki asked.

"That's right. Be careful though, no one is going to pull punches anymore."

That was alright with them, they had no qualms with beating Gaara into the dust. If he was a threat to Konoha then he had to be stopped, right?

Baki stared them down, trying to figure out what their plan was. He had to try and keep them occupied long enough to give the rest of his team a head start.

"Go!" Genma shouted, which made them run as fast as they could for the wall.

"I don't think so." Baki threw a few kunai to intercept their group, but they were knocked off course with the proctor's own knives.

"You've got to worry about me instead."

000

Mikoto watched her children leave together and hoped they would be alright. There was little time to dwell on it as a number of Oto shinobi approached her. Being an Uchiha meant she was intimidating enough, they weren't taking any chances by going at her one on one. It would take a lot more than that many to beat her though.

"Capturing an Uchiha like you would bring us great favor with Orochimaru. Come with us and you won't be harmed." There were six of them, their leader seemed confident in victory.

Mikoto said nothing as she activated her fully matured sharingan. Seeing that, the ninja surrounding her knew they were in for a fight. Some were properly intimidated by the red eyes, unsure of what to do. Their leader remained steadfast, but Mikoto could see him trembling with fear.

"Don't mock the Uchiha." She disappeared in a blur, too fast for them to keep up.

Her body reappeared in front of the Oto jounin that had demanded her surrender. The kunai she had in her hand went across his jugular, spraying blood on all those nearby. Mikoto's hands and face dripped with blood as she went to the next one, making a few slices on his torso and face that sent him to the afterlife.

The speed was so much that they could barely react as she went between them all, slicing through their defenses like they were nothing. Her sharingan allowed Mikoto to weave in and out of any pitiful resistance they put up. With nothing but her kunai she rampaged through the entire group before there was only one left.

The last one was able to bring up a kunai in defense, blocking her attack.

"How..how the hell did you-"

With her free hand, Mikoto formed half of a tiger seal and built of chakra.

It must have been a bluff. There was no way anyone could build up enough chakra for a technique with one hand. The Oto shinobi leaped back in an attempt to escape, but now found himself vulnerable in midair.

A fireball blasted from the Uchiha matriarch's mouth, quickly reaching her fleeing opponent. His screams lasted only a few moments before his burnt corpse fell to the ground, lifeless. Mikoto put her kunai away when she realized that was the last of the enemy around her bleachers.

Underestimating your opponents was the single worst thing you could do. Those shinobi learned it the hard way.

Mikoto's concern went out to her children, but she had faith they would be alright together. For now, as a jounin of the village, it was her duty to repel the attackers. She leaped from her balcony to the next where the fighting was thickest.

As was the way of the Uchiha, they always went to where the fighting was the most intense.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Forest_

000

Sasuki led the team against Gaara. They had tracked him all the way to the forest covered part of the village, far from the din of battle. Against all odds they were actually catching up, it must have been because of the wound she was able to inflict on the red head.

"Not too much longer now, they're close." Shino said, his kikaichu were spread out in a formation in front of them, following the trail of chakra.

"Good, it's time we finish this." Naruto responded, concerned about Mikoto back at the stadium.

Even if she was strong, he would still worry.

Sasuki's only thoughts were of finishing her match. There was no escaping her wrath now, for any of the Suna shinobi.

"Two just stopped moving, they must be trying to buy time for Gaara to escape." The Aburame warned as they approached.

"That won't last long. Come on, we'll break right through!" Sasuki ordered, speeding up even more.

Temari and Kankuro were just a bit ahead, waiting on a lower branch. They had their weapons ready and seemed dead set on fighting. Naruto's sharingan let him pick up on details that Sasuki wasn't paying attention to, her focus on catching up to Gaara.

"Sasuki, stop!"

The three of them stopped moving on separate branches and trunks, observing the area. All around, Temari had wire traps set up to try and slow them down. A normal eye might not have caught it in time with the speed they were moving at, but Naruto's eyes were anything but.

"This won't stop me!" The hot headed raven swept through the traps and continued forward, past the stunned Temari and Kankuro.

"Sasuki!" Naruto tried to pursue, but a gust of wind forced him to change course.

He landed on a nearby tree trunk and watched as Temari readied her fan again. The next move wouldn't miss if she had anything to say about it.

If Naruto wanted to help his sister, he would have to go through those two first.

"Naruto..I'll handle the puppet user." Shino proclaimed as his insects began to permeate the battlefield, emerging from his sleeves and collar.

Kankuro grimaced, it looked like they would be having a match after all. He didn't know a lot about the Aburame other than what he displayed during the preliminaries, but his best chance was to strike fast before the insects could sneak up on him. Crow began to move as chakra threads attached to its puppet body.

"That means its just you and me, kid." Temari smirked, confident in her abilities.

"Getting in my way wasn't a good idea." Naruto readied a kunai and leaped at Temari, closing their distance in just a few seconds.

He thrust his kunai forward and attempted to land a few slices on her, but she danced around her fan with enough speed to avoid them. The sharingan tracked her movements and Naruto sent a powerful kick to her abdomen which she was forced to block. It sent her flying toward another tree before she righted herself and stood on the trunk, readying a wind attack.

"**Kamaitachi no Jutsu!**" A powerful gale of wind launched from her fan. It prepared to envelop Naruto, but Temari wasn't the only one readying a technique.

_'Time for a crash course in nature transformation!'_

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" A stream of fire was released from Naruto's mouth and it quickly enveloped the wind technique, turning the attack back on the owner.

Temari's eyes widened as she tried to dodge the attack, only for her arm and leg to get caught in the blast. They were badly burned and it threw off her jump, forcing her to crash into the ground. Without a cushion, she immediately fell unconscious from the harsh drop.

"Temari!" Kankuro shouted in anguish.

No one had ever bested his sister in the power of ninjutsu. Her wind was always more powerful than the fire techniques they had gone up against before. Was that the power of an Uchiha?

"Your opponent is me!" Shino appeared right next to the puppet user, insects enveloping both the marionette and its controller.

With an unspoken form of communication, Shino would handle things there while Naruto went after Sasuki. The forest was abnormally quiet when they should have heard from the Uchiha heir by now. If anyone was in a position to help her, it was Naruto.

The blonde leaped from his branch and made his way in the direction Sasuki went. He needed to hurry if he wanted to catch up in time.

"_**Brat, that Gaara kid is like you. He has a chakra beast inside of him..you will want my chakra if you want to save your precious Sasuki."**_

_'Not this time Kyuubi, this is something I have to do on my own.'_

Humans and their pride. As if they were worthy of having any. For now though, Kyuubi could do nothing but wait.

000

"**Chidori!**" Sasuki's second attack sliced through Gaara's sand arm, eliciting a scream of pain from the jinchuuriki.

Since they began fighting, he had been slowly transforming into some sort of monstrosity. That was her last try at stopping him before he completed whatever he wanted to do. Her chakra was spent, Sasuki's body was still not able to handle the immense requirements needed to use it more than twice a day.

With little grace she landed on top of a large branch and leaned her back against the trunk. Maybe if she could just catch her breath, then she could try again. Too much energy was used, so she had to give up her sharingan too.

_'Dammit..I've reached my limit.'_

Gaara was also recovering on a nearby wooden limb, but at a much faster rate. The unique blue veined sand now covered both arms and his entire face was transformed into the monster she had seen inside the arena. A long tail swished freely behind his body, but it looked as heavy as the sand it was made of.

He turned to face her, a bloody smirk making his intent clear.

"**Nice try..but if that's all you have, then this battle is over!"** From the safety of distance, Gaara sent a flurry of sand shuriken at her weakened body.

Before Sasuki could do anything, a dark shadow appeared in front of her. Metal shuriken clashed with sand as the projectiles negated one another, leaving the battlefield to return to an eerie quiet. The Uchiha crest on the person's back showed their allegiance, but just before she could see the blonde hair of Naruto, she was suddenly reminded of Itachi.

In that moment, with that form and those clothes, Naruto reminded Sasuki of a time when she still had an older brother to count on. Just like Itachi would have done, Naruto had saved her.

"Sasuki, are you alright?" Naruto's voice snapped her out of that stupor.

No time to think about things like that. They were in the middle of a fight. She pulled herself from the odd comfort of the tree and got into a strained crouch, her arm holding her side.

"Ye-..yeah, I'm fine."

It was clear from the amount of effort she put into the response that not everything was alright. The battle with Gaara took a lot out of her, it seemed.

Naruto looked behind him and gave his sister a reassuring smile.

"Just stay here. Let me handle the rest."

"But Naruto, he's-"

Naruto's face grew stern, full of determination. He turned back to look at Gaara—the boy was almost fully transformed now, only his lower legs remained free of sand.

"I know what he is.." The blonde said as he bit his thumb and went through a few hand signs. "..and that is why I have to be the one to beat him!"

"**Kuchiyose!**" Naruto slammed his hand onto the tree bark, creating a small puff of smoke as Denka and Hina revealed themselves.

"Ah, where are we now?" Denka growled, clearly he had been sleeping a few moments before.

"Naruto-nyan, Sasuki-nyan! You two don't look so good.." Hina meowed, her playful expressions not making the situation any better.

Though they appeared more than relaxed from the summoning, the two quickly took into account their surroundings to gather information. They were quite shrewd for their small size, and Naruto knew they would be helpful in taking care of Sasuki.

"Naruto, Sasuki. You two are in a real bind, eh?" Denka frowned as he watched Gaara, his nose twitching from the clearly repulsive scent.

_'Damn tanuki..'_

"Hina, Denka. Stay with Sasuki and tend to her wounds. I've got this guy." The two cats nodded and approached the weakened Uchiha, their paws glowing green with healing chakra.

_'Naruto, you..'_ Sasuki was still taken aback by his summoning skill. Where did he learn how to do that?

"So this is what you were doing during the break..hmph." She smirked, and despite the pain, continued in a haughty tone. "Guess you _did_ learn something useful."

Naruto grinned.

"You haven't seen anything yet."

Gaara had waited long enough and decided it was time to start the attack again. He built up chakra in his lungs and sucked in a giant breath of air. It was time to show them how lethal wind could really be.

Naruto knew that using a fire technique wouldn't have the same effect it had with Temari. Her attack was nothing in comparison to that of a tailed beast's. That meant he was going to have to try something new.

_'I can't move Sasuki right now, and I don't have time to attack.'_

Naruto formed a unique hand sign in which he created a sphere by interlocking his fingers and having his thumb tips touch. It was specific to his clan's Suiton ninjutsu. All that practice wasn't for nothing, it wouldn't fail him now.

First, he needed water.

"_**Suiton: Ketsuro.**" _Water particles quickly formed from the water vapor hanging in the air, just as Gaara released his attack.

"**Fūton: Mugen Sajin — Daitoppa!**" A gust of wind, littered with sand particles, launched at the Uchiha and their summons.

"**Suiton: Suijinheki!**" The water that formed around Naruto quickly took shape in a wall that repelled the wind and sand with ease.

Denka and Hina were impressed, they had never seen water vapor manipulated that way. It took a lot of chakra and chakra control to pull off something like that.

Sasuki was speechless. She had expected Naruto to improve what he already knew, but this was..

When did he even learn Suiton?

Naruto went through another set of hand signs when Gaara's attack ceased. The water was still there and it would be a shame not to use it.

_'Thanks for this technique, Itachi-nii.'_

"**Suiton: Suigadan!**" The water transformed from a wall into a sharp drill that lunged toward Gaara, intent on impaling him.

"**What..what is this?!"** Gaara held up a sand arm to block the attack but cursed as it began to wet his Shukaku skin, making his entire body even denser.

"_**He might be slower, but now fire attacks will be ineffective." **_Kyuubi warned, silently complimenting Naruto's combination of attack and defense.

_'It's alright, we'll beat him with old fashioned taijutsu!'_ Naruto created a recognizable hand sign and created dozens of clones.

"**Tajuu Kage Bunshin!**"

Those watching had never seen so many clones created by one person.

Gaara's eyes moved all around the battlefield, trying to find the real one or count his enemies—both impossible tasks. He could barely move now with the water soaking his entire body. The only option was to block.

It wasn't clear which one lunged first, but all the clones soon charged forward. They began to punch and kick all of Gaara's body, even his vulnerable legs. Cracks began to appear as the armor was taking too much damage, and when the Ichibi host was sent flying into the air everyone knew something was about to happen.

"Take this! **Rasengan!**" Naruto came flying down from a higher branch, his attack aimed straight for Gaara's head.

Sand was obliterated as the Shukaku skin dispersed and the attack seriously wounded Gaara. That was only half the attack, as the force behind the hit sent the red head flying straight into the ground. When he didn't get out for a long while, Naruto dropped his guard and revealed that he was pretty tired after that series of techniques.

"Naruto!" Sasuki struggled to help him when the blonde fell to one knee, out of breath.

Denka and Hina leaped to join the two Uchiha as they embraced, if for a moment. They were both tired and still hurt from over extenuating their bodies, but they were together for the first time in a long while.

"Sasuki..are you alright?" Naruto asked with concern.

She had her arms draped around him, afraid to let go.

"Baka..I should be asking you that. I've never seen you do any of those techniques before!"

Naruto chuckled, he had worked hard to get where he was. It wasn't just the previous training month that he worked on those techniques—so many hours and days had been poured into them whenever he wasn't on a mission. Some of it may have been Kyuubi pressing him to keep training, but mostly he did it because he wanted to get stronger. There was nothing complicated about it, he trained so that he could protect those close to him.

So far, he wasn't doing such a bad job.

"I guess I'm full of sur-"

"**NARUTO UCHIHA!"** Gaara roared from below, finally completing his full transformation into Shukaku.

The Uchiha were taken by surprise, how could he still be moving after that hit? Not that it mattered much, because something else even worse was happening. Gaara was getting bigger, and bigger. The sand was taking on a new shape, something that towered over the treetops.

Shukaku himself was coming out, and he took up a _lot _of space.

"_**Little bastard..looks like he is getting ready to summon my brother's conscience. We'll need something much bigger to fight that!"**_

_'Okay..first we need to get away from the others.'_ Naruto stood up to his full height and looked at his friends.

"Now that Gaara has reached this point, there is only one option left. I'm going to have to summon the boss Toad to help." Denka and Hina looked between each other, he had another summoning contract?

"Boss toad?" Sasuki asked, not understanding.

"My other summoning contract that Jiraiya of the Sannin taught me. It's our only shot against him. First, you guys need to get as far away as possible!"

Naruto leaped to another branch before he gave them one last order.

"I'll lead him away, you guys try and fall back!" Before Sasuki could argue, he was gone.

"Damn..it!" She punched the tree in frustration. Why couldn't she do anything to help?

"It isn't your fault Sasuki-chan.." Denka said, with Hina nodding. "You have exhausted all your chakra. Right now, the best thing we can do to help Naruto is retreat."

That didn't make her feel any better. Fighting was in the Uchiha's blood-they lived for confrontation. Being powerless was the bane of their existence.

Sasuki was just that, powerless. Now, she had to leave Naruto to do the fighting for her. That was something she found harder and harder to accept, the more she saw him surpass her own abilities. What did that make her?

"Come on Sasuki-nyan! Naruto is about to summon his ally, we need to leave." Hina and Denka beckoned her to follow from a nearby branch, they were ready to go.

Regardless of the situation, Sasuki had a lot to think about if she wanted to equal Naruto. Only when she surpassed those around her would she finally be ready to take on Itachi.

Despite herself, Sasuki let Naruto take the lead.

000

_'Lend me your chakra Kyuubi, we are going to need it!'_

"Please come out, Gamabunta! **Kuchiyose!**" Naruto put the remaining chakra he had into the technique, along with what Kyuubi lent him.

A gigantic puff of smoke sent Naruto flying into the treetops and into the air. Now he was on top of Gamabunta's head as it moved left and right-the boss toad was surveying the place he had been brought to.

"Oi, what did you summon me for?" He blew smoke from his large pipe, creating his own cloud in the sky.

"I need your help beating someone." Gamabunta saw Ichibi forming some ways away from them, his eyes narrowing.

"Shukaku..haven't seen that beast in some time. You are asking a lot, kid." Truth was, fighting a tailed beast, even the One Tail, was no laughing matter.

There was no guarantee they would come out on top.

"Then we make the fight quick. I'm almost out of chakra.." Naruto was still on one knee, trying to gather energy. "You need to do some damage so Gaara will come out again..then I can stop him."

"Hmph. Don't act like you have a plan or anything. This is about as improvised as it can get."

Naruto smirked, despite his position.

"That's why I summoned the best. Only you can pull it off."

Gamabunta began to smile, he was starting to like this kid.

"Alright then.." The large toad drew his blade, an ornately carved tanto strapped to his waist. ".but you owe me big! Hang on."

They leaped into the air straight for Gaara, who was still in control. His ability was still sluggish though, and he could only prepare his arms to block the attack.

The tanto carved straight through the Ichibi's right arm, eliciting an annoyed growl. Sand fell to the earth, flattening the surrounding trees as it was released from Gaara's authority.

"That ought to be enough to get the real one to come out." Naruto hoped.

"You better be right kid." Gamabunta readied his blade as they stood a little distance away, waiting.

The eyes of Shukaku changed from a dull beige to a bright yellow, indicating some sort of shift. It suddenly bellowed a maniacal laugh, practically creating a sound attack with the volume. The real Gaara revealed his upper body on the top of Shukaku's head—fast asleep.

"**ALRIGHT! I AM _OUT _NOW BABY! TIME TO HAVE SOME FUN!" **It started to build up chakra, its belly swelling to enormous size.

"Gamabunta, we need to-"

"I KNOW!" Gamabunta formed an odd hand sign with his claws and gathered up chakra in his mouth.

"**Fūton: Renkūdan****!**"

"**Suiton: Teppōdama!**"

The two attacks hit simultaneously. Wind and water slammed into each other and made a powerful, momentary rainstorm that afflicted the genin and summons below.

000

Denka and Hina made distressed cries as they got wet. It was a cat's worst nightmare and they suddenly regretted following the summoning order.

"Damn..I'm gonna get that damn toad for this." Denka growled.

"Come on you two!" Sasuki picked them up under her arms and kept running.

They were still too close if they were being affected by the jutsu. For now they had to find Shino and regroup, then they could try and figure out how to help Naruto.

000

An idea formed in Naruto's head when Gamabunta revealed his ability in water techniques. Perhaps, if he could gather enough chakra, they could reach Gaara without needing to get too close.

"You have any ideas here kid?!" Gamabunta shouted as he tried to use kenjutsu on Shukaku, but the beast was able to absorb the strikes.

Unlike Gaara, it had better control over its body's sand makeup.

"**OH! YOU _ARE _A FIESTY ONE!"** Shukaku was having a lot of fun playing with this toad, more fun than it would have thought.

_'Kyuubi, I hate to ask. Please lend me a bit more chakra..I'm going to try and use an Uzumaki technique.'_

"_**Careful kid..you don't know if it will work properly or not."**_

_'Not much of a choice..'_ Naruto thought as he placed his hands into the special hand sign and started to focus his chakra.

"Boss toad!" Naruto got Gamabunta's attention, making the summon grunt. "If you can, fire as many of those water bullets as you can. I'm going to try and fuse with one of them so I can reach Gaara!"

_'Fuse? What the hell is this kid saying..'_

"I don't know what you mean, but if its a way to beat this thing, then let's do it!" The toad slammed his sword into the ground and formed the proper hand sign, gathering more chakra.

"**Suiton: Teppōdama Kyuuzou!**" Gamabunta released a series of water balls extremely fast, too much for Shukaku to completely dodge.

Just before the first one impacted, Naruto focused his chakra and began the technique.

"**Hiden Suiton: Uzumaki Shouka.**" Naruto's body began to take on the form of water particles, making him ephemeral.

With great speed he transferred his gaseous body into the liquid now coating Shukaku's forehead. Using chakra, he reformed his body from the liquid back into a solid form.

That was a great ability to the Uzumaki, to be able to turn into water vapor and reappear anywhere there was a water source, possibly many miles away. It was superior to the body flicker, as the user was effectively immune to anything but particle affecting attacks. The speed it was done at was almost instantaneous, preventing much of any response.

Shukaku didn't even notice Naruto reform on his head, or else he would have been concerned. Instead, he was much more interested in trying to catch Gamabunta, whom was so far able to elude his attacks. That left Naruto and Gaara to fight against one another, albeit it was quite one sided.

"..Time to wake up.." Naruto walked over and grabbed the red head's collar, rearing a fist back. "You son of a bitch!"

The punch sent Gaara's head flying back, blood and spittle shot from his mouth. If a jinchuuriki wasn't so durable, the punch would surely have broken his jaw. When it wasn't enough and Shukaku had finally caught onto Naruto's little game, the blonde knew he had to try something else.

"I said.." Naruto used both hands to grip Gaara's clothes, his teeth barred. "WAKE UP!"

Using his hitai-ate as a focal point, Naruto headbutted Gaara. It was hard enough that both began to bleed from their foreheads, and the impact could be heard all around the forest.

Shukaku screamed in annoyance as he felt the boy's consciousness return and was forced to relinquish control. Next time, he thought, there would be toad blood!

"Damn..you..Uchiha.." Gaara growled as the sand beneath them began to fall to the earth—both of them had spent the last of their chakra.

"Looks like that's it for me. Good luck, kid." Gamabunta released the summon, returning home.

As the two genin fell to the ground, two groups were making their way toward them. It was impossible to tell whether they were friendly or not, but Kyuubi could sense them approaching. Considering the shape Naruto was in, they wouldn't have much of a fight on their hands if that was what they wanted.

Naruto and Gaara both landed in a heap, unable to move. Neither could move much, but they were able to turn their heads to look at one another.

"How..how could you have beaten me..me! The jinchuuriki of Shukaku?!" The power Gaara thought he contained was not enough to win, but it wasn't because Naruto was an Uchiha.

No, it had to be something else.

"Because..you idiot..I'm a jinchuuriki too." Naruto growled, willing his body to get up. He was unable to do much but twitch a finger. "The difference between me and you..is that I have someone..I'm willing to fight for."

"Why..you should only have to fight for yourself!"

"No..that's where you're wrong. True strength..comes from the feelings you share with other people..not wanting to let them down..caring about them..that is how you get stronger."

Naruto could only think of Sasuki during his fight. He did everything to protect her, and that was why he won.

"_What..what is.." _Gaara whispered, trying to understand.

_'Is that..love? How can one obtain this power..by just protecting something?'_

They didn't have to wait long until more ninja arrived. To their surprise, the two groups weren't actually fighting each other.

Temari and Kankuro rushed to aid Gaara while Sasuki and the cat summons tended to Naruto.

"Naruto! Are you alright?"

"Gaara, hang in there!"

Denka and Hina began to heal Naruto's most obvious wounds, but more than anything, he was just exhausted. It was up to Sasuki to find a safe place for them to wait out the rest of the battle in Konoha.

"Sasuki.." She held Naruto in her arms, his head rested on her lap. "..is Shino.."

"Shino's father came to take care of him, don't worry."

The honest truth was, Kankuro and Temari both were barely standing themselves. Naruto's attack had left her unconscious until the end of the battle between the Aburame and puppet user. Though Kankuro's poison forced Shino to rest, the kikaichu had effectively brought Kankuro down to almost no chakra and made Crow useless.

Even if they wanted to finish the job against Konoha, there was no way the siblings could.

_'Naruto..you are such an idiot sometimes..'_ Sasuki looked him over, tears building.

How could he let himself get so hurt? Was _that_ the extent he was willing to prove himself capable of protecting her?

There was no way she could voice those concerns now. Naruto was just barely conscious and the last thing he needed was a hit over the head for his rash thinking. No, she just continued to pet his hair in comfort while the ninneko continued to heal him.

When the war was over, they had a lot of catching up to do.

000

_A few days later.._

_Konohagakure_

_Council Chambers_

000

"Sorry, but it just isn't something I'm capable of."

Jiraiya rejected the council's offer, more similar to an order, to become the Godaime Hokage. That was just not something the old sage was interested in, not with his priorities.

A simple refusal was never enough for Koharu and Homura though and they sought to press the issue.

"It isn't that easy, Jiraiya. We need someone to get behind, or else the village will remain misguided and unorganized."

There was a pause before Jiraiya spoke, this time trying to change the subject.

"How were the talks with Suna?"

They saw through it, but Koharu answered regardless.

"After discovering the betrayal of Orochimaru against the Yondaime Kazekage, they were quick to make amends. We had little choice but to accept their surrender, with the village's strength halved."

"Finding a leader is our priority right now, and you are the best candidate we can reach." That was where they were wrong.

"I may not be your man, but if a Sannin is what you're after, I can get you one." For a retort against the wizened council, it was surprisingly effective.

"Tsunade?" Homura questioned.

Jiraiya grinned, it was about time she came back to the village.

"Considering the casualties suffered, a medical specialist like her would be beneficial..but the question is, can you get her to come?"

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed their skeptical gaze.

"Of course I can. I _am_ Jiraiya of the Sannin after all."

They stayed quiet for a moment, eyes closed with indecision. Finally, Koharu spoke up with Homura following her lead.

"Very well, return with Tsunade as soon as possible."

"We will dedicate a small group of ANBU to assist you in this matter.."

Now that was something that definitely did not sound fun. The last thing he wanted was a group of babysitters.

"Hey, I'm not going to run away. No need to send a bunch of stiffs like that.." A mischievous glint came to his eyes as he made the next offer. "Though there is someone I wouldn't mind bringing along."

000

Kakashi stood right outside of a dango shop, waiting for Sasuki. He had promised her some training after she made a big case about it. Apparently Naruto's strength was enough to make her feel like she was falling behind, even though they had made a lot of progress during the exam training. There was a chance her body couldn't handle it, but there was also little chance of talking her out of it.

Unfortunately, the two suspicious persons inside of the shop would require him to cut his meeting short.

Asuma and Kurenai approached the shop together, going over to Kakashi.

"Hey Kakashi, what are you doing here?" Asuma asked in a simple tone, hands in pocket.

"Oh? I could ask you two the same thing, since you came together I guess that must mean-"

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea.." Kurenai blushed, looking away. "Anko just asked me to get her a meal.."

"Well.." The silver haired jounin made a certain movement with his eye toward the shop, bringing their attention to the occupants. "I'm waiting for Sasuki to arrive. We have training.."

Inside, one of them flinched momentarily upon hearing the Uchiha's name.

All three jounin noticed it and their faces hardened.

"Oh? So soon after the attack?" Asuma said in a light tone, playing along.

"Yeah.." He looked over and saw Sasuki approaching. "I said the same thing."

"Kakashi.." Sasuki approached her sensei and, after seeing the shop, scowled. "I don't like sweets.."

The other one inside flinched upon hearing the girl's voice. In a blur, they disappeared leaving their drinks and food half finished.

"Oh really? Sorry." Kakashi made a barely noticeable sign to Asuma and Kurenai, who nodded and disappeared in pursuit.

Sasuki raised an eyebrow, not understanding. That was when she realized something chilling.

...

"Oi, since when did you start arriving on time?"

The jounin chuckled, his mind elsewhere.

"Well, it happens from time to time."

000

_Uchiha Compound_

000

It didn't take much convincing for Naruto and Mikoto to get on board with the idea. Jiraiya was actually quite surprised at their response, but after talking a little bit, he was starting to understand where they were coming from.

Naruto wanted to get stronger and Jiraiya, having such a famous reputation, was a once in a lifetime opportunity to achieve that. With his Nindō being to protect those close to him, that kind of response wasn't all that surprising.

Mikoto was the one that surprised Jiraiya the most. Though she expressed a bit of apprehension to start with, she was actually happy that Naruto was leaving. It seemed like she wanted to get some training done with Sasuki, and considering Naruto's performance during the war, not having him around would make it easier. Without that looming competition, the Uchiha women would have an easier time bonding.

Not only that, but Mikoto was respecting Naruto's wish to obtain more strength. For now, she had done all she could to help him along. It was up to Jiraiya to take care of him for now.

"Do you know how long you will be gone?" Mikoto asked as they prepared to leave the Uchiha's home.

"Not sure, it shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks." The sage replied, having already located the general area where Tsunade was staying in.

Naruto had a backpack filled with some clothes and other essentials, still in his same outfit. He looked happy enough, so Mikoto decided that she was making the right decision.

"Alright then..good luck, Naruto. Stay safe." They embraced, tightly.

"I'll be back before you know it. Take care of Sasuki, Kaa-san."

Jiraiya smiled, they looked good that way. It was almost as if Kushina herself was there, seeing him off. It was thankfully a lot more peaceful than if the red head was around.

The gate opened and Sasuki came in, looking quite disappointed. Her training had been canceled when Kakashi received an urgent message and had to excuse himself. She saw Naruto with some person she had never seen before, and he looked like he was going somewhere.

"Naruto? What's going on?"

Naruto was glad he got to see Sasuki before he left, though he was unsure of how to tell her he was leaving.

"Hey Sasuki..it looks like I'm going on a mission." He motioned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya of the Sannin needs my help with something out of the village. We shouldn't be gone for long."

"Sorry, Sasuki-chan. Looks like I'll be stealing Naruto for a bit. Consider this your chance to impress him with training when he gets back!" The toad sage winked at the girl.

"Hmph. Fine, do what you wish." She was going to walk by, but Naruto caught her arm.

Obviously, she was putting on a show because she didn't want him to leave.

"Sorry, Sasuki..you will just have to endure it for a bit longer." The blonde whispered in her ear as her face scrunched up in tearful anger.

"You..idiot. I just get you back and now..and now you're leaving again.."

It hurt them to see her like that. No one was trying to hurt the poor girl, whom had lost so much already. Least of all Naruto, who saw each tear as a betrayal to his promise.

"If leaving for a little bit will let me get stronger, so I can protect you, then maybe I can apologize for those tears. I'm-"

A hit over the head quieted his protests, but it wasn't a hard hit. She barely tapped him, just enough so he would flinch. It made her sudden kiss feel a little less awkward.

They remained locked together for a moment—surprising the two older shinobi with their display.

Jiraiya soon smiled.

_'Ah, to be young and in love..'_

Mikoto shared his smile, glad to see the two were still getting along well. It would take more than that for their feelings to sour.

Sasuki broke the kiss a few moments later, their noses still touching.

"Just come back soon..and don't get too strong..or else you'll be too annoying to deal with." She said after a light sob, ridding herself of tears.

Naruto smiled.

"Sure thing."

As those two said their goodbyes, Mikoto's attention was drawn to the whistling wind. Something seemed off about its call—like a bad omen of some sort.

A familiar presence was near.

000

_Some time later.._

_Land of Fire_

000

Jiraiya chose to step out for a drink while he left Naruto back at the hotel. Of course he was the one who got to have all the fun, Naruto thought. Better that way though, most of those things were outside of his age range's interests anyway.

They had yet to make much progress from Konoha. Since Jiraiya had some sort of contact he needed to speak with in the town they stopped by, he said they should stay there for the day. It wasn't what Naruto had in mind but there wasn't much he could do.

A knock on the door made him put his sandals back on and call out to whoever was there. When they didn't answer, Naruto narrowed his eyes and opened the door. He fully expected it to be someone asking for Jiraiya, perhaps a young woman he called or some old man looking for money.

That was why his entire mind froze when he saw such a familiar face. It had been so long since he had last seen him.

"I-Itachi.." Naruto croaked out after a pause, suddenly he couldn't swallow.

The sharingan user looked down at Naruto, his expression hidden behind the black cloak's collar.

"Long time no see, Naruto-kun."

000

Sasuki rushed through the small town in search of Naruto or Jiraiya. She had never run so fast before, not since she overheard the conversation between Mikoto and Gai. When she heard Itachi had been sighted in the village and might have been after Naruto, Sasuki saw her chance.

It was finally time for her to obtain the revenge she had been working so hard for. She could avenge her father, her clan, and restore honor to the Uchiha. Then maybe her mother could rest easy and Sasuki could finally lose the burden that had been weighing her down.

There was a good chance Mikoto was on her way as well, along with half of Konoha. That meant there wouldn't be much time for her to find and kill Itachi.

_'One hit..'_ She thought, bawling her right fist. _'That's all I need.'_

000

Naruto felt compelled to walk out of the room and joined the two newcomers in the hallway. He knew what Itachi had done and he knew that the crossed out hitai-ate meant he was an official nuke-nin. Both things meant bad news, but something made Naruto want to believe in Itachi. That was why he didn't flinch as the two parties stared each other down.

"You know Itachi-san.." The blue skinned man next to him spoke up, hand on his sword grip. "..it would be risky if he could move around much, perhaps we should take off a leg or two."

A hand kept Kisame from approaching Naruto. The raven haired adolescent kept his partner tightly reined in as he thought up a plan.

"That won't be necessary. Naruto-kun and I know each other, so we should be able to convince him to come with us."

"What do you mean, Itachi?" This was no game, they wanted something from him.

A sinking feeling in his gut was starting to tell him what.

"We need you to come with us, Naruto-kun. Our organization's leader would like to speak with you."

"What organization? What are you doing here? Everyone knows what you've done..how could you-"

Itachi's eyes closed as his attention went elsewhere, which stopped Naruto's protest.

"Hm?" Kisame turned to his partner, curious.

"It has been a while..Sasuki."

Everyone looked behind Itachi to see the enraged heiress.

"Uchiha Itachi.." Sasuki activated her sharingan, sending a glare at her brother.

All she could think of was all the friends that Itachi took from her, all the memories of the clan she had cherished as a child. Her father, whom had just started to take interest in her, died in the blink of an eye. Worst of all, her mother was left behind to live a life of melancholy, forever unable to rest.

"For the dishonor you caused our clan to suffer from..for the pain you forced on mother..I'm going to KILL YOU!"

Naruto's eyes widened, things were escalating too quickly. How could Sasuki have gotten away from Mikoto and the village? It wasn't safe for her here! At her level, no! Not even Naruto was strong enough to beat Itachi, not by a long shot.

They had to run, they had to-

"**CHIDORI!**" Sasuki broke into a run, lightning chakra all around her right arm.

It was finally time for the showdown she had been waiting for. The time for revenge was now! Not even Naruto could stop her if he wanted to.

Itachi didn't flinch or try and move out of the way, waiting for the last moment. The ground cracked under the chakra as Sasuki brought it up, aimed straight for Itachi's heart. That was when Itachi revealed his right hand from inside his sleeve, slapping the back of Sasuki's hand with enough force to send the Chidori into the wall behind him.

_'I-impossible..'_ Sasuki was stunned, she couldn't even read his movements with her sharingan.

_'This isn't good..'_ Naruto activated his sharingan, but everything happened too fast.

Itachi grabbed Sasuki's outstretched wrist and pulled her closer, and in a single motion, sent her flying down the hall with a kick to the stomach. Hopefully that would be enough to keep her out of the way.

Before she could hit the wall, she was caught by someone. Their presence wasn't expected and Itachi's eyes widened on realization of who it was.

"Itachi.." A dangerous voice called out, enough to make even Kisame swallow nervously.

The three were unable to respond as Mikoto Uchiha held her daughter up by the arms. As soon as Sasuki went missing, Mikoto knew exactly where she was headed. All the speed in the world wouldn't have let her outrun Mikoto, not for long.

The encounter they were stuck in was inevitable, it would seem. The Uchiha matriarch had just prayed it would be later rather than sooner.

"_Mother.."_ Itachi whispered, betraying his emotions.

That was something he hadn't said in quite a while.

A blur ran past Kisame and Itachi, too fast for them to respond. Naruto turned in midair and stood side by side with Mikoto, who set Sasuki down to rest. Not even with the both of them did they stand a chance against either of those two, but at least the odds were slightly better.

"Naruto..stay close to me." Mikoto whispered.

"Right."

It was impossible to leave her children out of the fight, but at least Naruto could think clearly. Sasuki was unpredictable when it came to anything that had to do with Itachi. Whatever her eldest son had done to her, it had bothered her enough to make a permanent mental scar. That meant they needed to keep the two away from each other, at least until Sasuki was strong enough to fight against him.

"Eh, seems like things are getting interesting. It feels a little awkward for me to be here.." Kisame grinned, noticing all the sharingan eyes—it was like a family reunion.

No, that was it exactly.

"I'm afraid Naruto-kun is coming with us. I have no intention of killing either you or Sasuki, but I will if you stand in my way." Itachi proclaimed, with little emotion.

"You won't take my only son away from me, not this time." Mikoto's words cut deeper than she realized, enough to give the rogue Uchiha pause.

It didn't last long though, as Sasuki ran forward and past Mikoto and Naruto. She would have her revenge, no matter what!

"Stay out of my way! He's mine!"

Naruto cursed and ran after her, despite Mikoto's warning. There was no way he was going to let her go in alone, not after the strength Itachi displayed.

"**Tajuu Kage Bunshin!**" Clones of Naruto covered the hallway and distracted Kisame to prevent him from interfering.

Itachi easily weaved in and out of his sister's attacks, his superior ability with the sharingan and taijutsu clear. He sent an uppercut to her chin, two fast strikes to her stomach that made her cough blood, and then sent her flying into the wall with another kick.

"You should have listened to Mikoto, Sasuki." Itachi mocked her, but was forced to retreat when Naruto threw shuriken at him.

Naruto picked Sasuki up and retreated back down the hall, behind Mikoto. The matriarch went through hand signs and built up chakra in her stomach, her hands in the tiger seal.

"**Katon: Amatsu Ikari!" **

One of Mikoto's strongest techniques, the white hot flames seared the hallway and offered the Akatsuki duo little room to maneuver.

"Shit!" Kisame thought as he went through hand signs, but it was too fast.

"That won't be powerful enough anyway.." Itachi muttered, his eyes morphing into something powerful, something dark.

_'Kaa-san was lauded as one of the strongest of the clan..and not even father could imitate her Katon techniques.'_

Naruto set Sasuki down against the wall, whom had finally been knocked unconscious. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Mikoto's attack though—it burned the brightest white he had ever seen. That was why he was surprised when he saw the flames dying against Itachi's.

His flames, Naruto saw, were a chilling black.

Before the fire could spread to harm the Uchiha, Itachi extinguished them. Kisame smirked and readied Samehada, prepared to charge. Finally it was his turn to have some fun.

The floor and walls were scorched and melting, thanks to Mikoto's technique. She was lightly panting, but was prepared to unleash another attack when a new presence appeared in front of her.

"Looks like I made it just in time."

Jiraiya blocked Akatsuki from the Uchiha family, an overconfident smile adorning his face. He saw through the genjutsu put on the woman they sent after him, but he feared it might have been too late. Luckily, Mikoto had lived up to her rank as jounin and held them back long enough for him to arrive.

"Oh? Jiraiya of the Sannin eh..things keep getting more interesting."

"Kisame, we're retreating." Itachi held his right eye in pain, somewhat out of breath.

His partner looked disappointed, but the new arrival would make things difficult. They always had the next time, Kisame thought.

Using the hole in the wall created by Sasuki's chidori, they escaped the hotel. It left the three conscious individuals remaining to compose themselves and figure out what to do.

"Mikoto.." Jiraiya looked back at the woman, suddenly serious. "You need to get Sasuki to a medical squad."

"I know." She responded, her gaze just as intense. "But you need to get Naruto away from here and to safety. I can't entrust him to you if something like this is going to happen often."

The sannin sighed, having to deal with a protective mother was a tough job.

"Understood, I won't let it get this dangerous again. Seriously though, Konoha needs to know about this encounter."

"We already had a similar run-in in Konoha. Kakashi has been hospitalized from an attack Itachi used with his sharingan, and Gai should be here shortly." That was unsettling, if Akatsuki was willing to enter the village, it meant things had gotten worse.

"Jiraiya..we need to get as far away from Konoha as possible." They looked at Naruto in surprise, his face full of determination.

"Why the rush?" The toad sage asked.

"They must be after Kyuubi, right?" The mention of the fox made both of them flinch, confirming Naruto's guess. "To make sure they stay away from Konoha and the Uchiha, we need to lure them away. We can do that, right?"

When he should have been worried about himself, Naruto could only think of his family and village. That took some serious conviction.

"Yeah.." Jiraiya smiled—Naruto was definitely a golden egg. "..we can do that. Mikoto?"

The Uchiha nodded as she held Sasuki in her arms. Before she left, Mikoto planted a long kiss on Naruto's cheek.

"You have become a true Uchiha, Naruto. Return home soon."

In a blur she was gone, but her words remained. Naruto stood there for a long while, blush on his cheeks, as he cradled that side of his face.

Jiraiya chuckled before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Alright romeo, let's go. We need to put some distance between us and Konoha, right?"

Determination restored, Naruto was ready to go. He had a goal now, he had to grow strong enough to challenge Itachi and the Akatsuki. It might take a long time, maybe longer than he would like, but that goal wasn't something he was willing to give up.

If it was for his family, Naruto would do anything. That was his duty as an Uchiha.

000

_A few days later.._

_Land of Fire_

000

"We're close I think, come on. Let's stop in here."

"You said that last time, I'm starting to think you must be lying."

Jiraiya made to look as if he was hurt, but Naruto saw through it. With the most pitiful voice the blonde had ever heard, the Sannin asked him a serious question.

"Have I _ever_ lied to you before?"

"Probably." Jiraiya flopped as Naruto deadpanned in response.

"Oh, what do you know? Close or not, it's dark. Let's take a break."

Naruto didn't want to take a break. After what happened to Sasuki, he just wanted to train. Jiraiya promised he would teach him something knew whenever they met Tsunade, but the days still passed and they had yet to make much progress.

That bar didn't look much different than any of the other inns they had stopped in. What were the chances it would have the person they were looking for?

As it turned out, Naruto and Jiraiya had just landed on the jackpot in their search.

But would the meeting work out as they hoped it would?

000

I've found a great Japanese dictionary and have been having some fun coming with actual unique techniques. In case you are curious, Mikoto's techniques will be based around mythical or nobility terms because that is what her name roughly translates to. For example, the fire technique she used at the end meant roughly 'Heavenly Wrath', or at least those were the words I was going for.

Remember to check my profile for that poll and send me a private message if you have questions or suggestions. That goes for my future story section, if any of that excites you let me know.

Next chapter I'm thinking whenever it is finally released some time in the future, will wrap up the remainder of the Search for Tsunade arc as well as the Sasuki Retrieval all in one so we can finally reach Part II. I am really excited about that!

All that's left to say is the usual; Review! They keep the story alive!


	18. The Ultimate Betrayal

The Blonde Uchiha

Chapter 18

The Ultimate Betrayal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

"**Tailed Beast Speak"**

NarutoxSasukixMikoto

Ominous title yeah? Time to set the record straight and answer the ultimate question that has been on all of your minds since the first chapter. It will set the stage for Part II and have a great effect on those involved. Something like it only happens once in a story, the epic climax.

Will Sasuki stay..or will she go?

Let's read to find out.

000

_Land of Fire_

_Tanzaku Quarters_

000

"Let's go, Naruto."

"What's the point of me going to a bar? I can't drink anyway."

"Eat the damn appetizers then!"

Despite the two newcomers' heated argument, the barkeep shouted welcome to them as they entered. It was a busy night after all and the more to come in, the more money to be had. In particular he was keeping an eye on a specific blonde who just would not stop ordering more sake. It seemed she had something in particular she had to get off her mind.

Shizune watched Tsunade from the corner of her eye with concern. Her master seemed to show no signs of stopping her excessive drinking. Ever since they met Orochimaru earlier that day, Tsunade had been listless and conflicted. It scared Shizune to think that there was a chance the legendary medical shinobi would actually help such a terrible man, especially after what he admitted doing to Konoha.

No matter how long it had been since they last visited, the village was still their home.

The weight on their minds was enough to keep the two women preoccupied and not see Jiraiya walk in. Naruto followed, albeit annoyed that they weren't making any progress. Just as Jiraiya was about to tell him to quit moping around, his eyes caught onto something and he turned for a double take.

"Tsunade?" He said out loud to himself, eyes locked to the busty blonde across the diner.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and shouted louder, pointing at his target. Finally all their work was paying off! Well, all of his work—Naruto had yet to do much but grumble about not getting any training.

"Tsunade! It _is_ you!"

Tsunade looked up and saw her old team-mate. She stood up in surprise and slammed her hands down on the table, startling Tonton as it shook their glasses. Why the hell was he here?

"Jiraiya? What the hell are you doing here?"

The toad sage smirked and made his way over to their booth, Naruto following from behind.

"Ah, about time we found you. I was getting tired."

From what Naruto could see, Tsunade looked nothing like Jiraiya in terms of age. She had a fit body that she showed off rather well in her simple kimono blouse. Was she really one of the Sannin? In the end, he supposed what mattered the most was that Jiraiya would finally train him now that they had found her.

They all sat down together and quickly returned to what they were doing before. There was still a tense atmosphere as eyes passed between one another, trying to gauge intent.

Jiraiya called for a new round of drinks and a fish appetizer for Naruto to keep him occupied, all the while watching his team-mate drink her night away. The way Shizune fidgeted in her seat and constantly looked at Tsunade told him that there was something wrong. If he had to guess, they had already met Orochimaru and been asked to heal his arms. If she was seriously contemplating it, they would have some problems.

Shizune wished Tsunade would stop drinking and speak up. Deep in her heart she feared that Tsunade had finally fallen to the point where she might actually do something so terrible as to help Orochimaru. All of the work her brother did to ensure the village's safety, thrown away because of her master's emotional fragility. No matter how much she wanted to tell Jiraiya the truth, she respected Tsunade too much to say anything out of turn.

_'Seeing both Sannin in one day..this is overwhelming.'_ She thought to herself, waiting for the dam to break.

The waiter came back around and offered Naruto a simple dish of cooked fish for him to enjoy. With no rush he broke his chopsticks and quietly ate. The entire situation they were in was starting to bug him and he kept his eyes open, trying to read the woman Sannin. What was she hiding?

"..." Tsunade drank another round of sake, slamming the cup back down to the table. "Ah.."

Her eyes were half-open and a blush had settled across her cheeks—she was already well buzzed. Something about her motions seemed forced however, as if she were trying to appear relaxed for the sake of those around her.

"Seeing so many old faces in on day can really can tire you out.." The woman muttered, eyes set on the table.

Jiraiya leaned over and poured her another cup before taking a swig of his own. That told him all he needed to know as his eyes somewhat hardened, staring at his team-mate. So things had already gone that far.

"Orochimaru, eh?" Jiraiya asked, rhetorically; Tsunade failed to notice his harsh gaze as she continued to occupy herself with the idle drink. "What happened?"

Shizune's eyes widened as she turned to her master. Would she answer truthfully?

Naruto looked at both of them and knew something was wrong. If Orochimaru was involved, there was trouble. Perhaps there was more danger to this mission than he had previously expected.

Tsunade immediately sent a quieting glare to her compatriot before taking another drink. Her face relaxed as she gave too simple of an answer.

"Nothing much..we just said hello." Jiraiya grimaced, uncomfortable with the fact she was willing to lie so easily.

Naruto gritted his teeth at the bold faced lie. Who the hell did she think she was? No matter who you were, meeting an S-rank criminal was not something to joke about, especially after what Orochimaru did to the Leaf.

Tonton made a few nervous grunts as the tense atmosphere only increased. The blonde woman picked up on that and took a set of playing cards out from inside her jacket and began to shuffle them, as a way to ease tension and draw their minds away.

"What do you want from me?" She asked, placing the cards on the table to be cut.

Jiraiya decided to play along and separated the deck into two neat piles. He expertly placed them back together with a bit of finesse—a fine clicking sound permeated the table as the cards slammed against one another. The cards were placed back onto the table with care as Jiraiya delivered the powerful message.

"I'll get straight to the point. Tsunade, the village has requested that you become the Godaime Hokage."

The whole other side of the table froze with that announcement, their eyes widening in shock. Was the village in such dire straits they required Tsunade's abilities? Did that mean the Sandaime had really..

_'So..Orochimaru wasn't lying..'_ Tsunade thought with a pang of regret, her body still tense.

"I take it you heard news of the Third? Whether it be from rumors or from Orochimaru himself." Jiraiya said with a hint of accusation.

They both drew five cards from the deck with Jiraiya choosing to hold his close to his face. Tsunade kept them low to the table and checked them while she formulated a response.

"Yeah.._he_ said something about that. Carried out the task personally, didn't he?" The laid back, uncaring tone she took made Jiraiya and Naruto shift uncomfortably.

For his part, Naruto was getting more and more angry with this woman. What kind of attitude did she have to disrespect her old village so easily? The Sandaime deserved better than that! If he could he wanted to teach her some humility.

Jiraiya on the other hand, remained calm. He knew what Tsunade was trying to do and saw past it. She was just trying to derail the conversation and draw them into a confrontation, in order to get their minds off of her meeting with Orochimaru. The traveling she had been doing had made her so cynical it actually surprised him.

_'Tsunade, how much have you changed since we last met?'_

Tsunade picked up on Naruto's glare and returned it with a half-drunken one. Something seemed familiar about him.

"Who's this kid?"

Jiraiya was looking at his hand and was quite pleased. He had two aces and two kings, he just needed to get rid of the eight for something hopefully better. The smile he wore only intensified when she asked him about his student because it would give him a chance to show off a bit.

"Naruto Uzumaki Uchiha."

Tsunade and Shizune were again taken by surprise. While Shizune knew little about his status as jinchuuriki, she knew enough about the Uchiha and their recent developments to find it quite amazing for one to be alive, sitting right there. Not only that, but his blonde hair made him look nothing like what she was expecting.

_'So..this is the Nine Tails kid. Why the hell does he wear the Uchiha name?'_ Tsunade's eyes hardened a bit before looking back at her hand.

No luck at all, she couldn't win with it. First Jiraiya traded a card and drew, then she folded her entire hand for a new one.

The pervert smiled with his luck; he now had three kings and two aces. His face became serious again when he remembered she had yet to answer his question.

"I'll say it again, Tsunade." Jiraiya called out to her as she checked each card, one by one. "The village requests that you become the Godaime Hokage."

Things were starting to look good for her hand—three hearts that were the opening for a royal flush. Jiraiya's reiteration only served to bring her mood low again. She remained quiet as she began to check the two final cards.

Everyone's eyes were on Tsunade as they waited to hear her answer.

"Will you accept?"

"_I will bring your loved ones back to you for this simple task. Then I will destroy Konoha, once and for all."_

Those were the words Orochimaru had spoken to her, with such conviction she had no doubt they were true. Was it worth it though?

Another heart, perhaps her luck had finally turned around.

One thing was for sure though, and it was that she did not want the task of caring for a village that had only brought her pain. The last card seemed to mirror her negative reaction—a useless club.

They watched as Tsunade threw her cards to the table and frowned. The answer seemed so obvious she might not have needed to say anything.

"Not possible. I refuse."

Jiraiya smirked, that sounded quite familiar to a time when he asked her to go out with him. His student was not as understanding and Naruto's frown only served to deepen.

_'This bitch..'_ Did the title of Hokage really mean that little to her if she could refuse so easily?

_'Can she really be considering Orochimaru's proposal?' _Shizune feared that that could be the only reason she would refuse outside of being stubborn.

"Hmph. You know that you are the only one capable of it. Your medical and combat skills are unrivaled, and you are the granddaughter of the First Hokage. These are things no one else can match." Jiraiya explained, which gave Naruto a bit better of an understanding of who Tsunade was.

"I may be a terrible gambler.." Tsunade said, hands laced in front of her. "but the one thing I don't bet with is life. That's something only fools do."

Jiraiya's mood sunk with her subtle jab at the Hokage, but it was only going to get worse.

"Anyone who takes a dangerous job like that is asking to die." Everyone noticed that Naruto had broken the chopsticks he was holding.

"My grandfather and great uncle both wanted to end the war but died before they could. Not even the Third could escape that fate, and with his age he was asking to die."

"You've changed, Tsunade." And not in a good way, the sage scowled.

"Time does that to people, Jiraiya. I may not look it, but I am fifty you know."

Naruto barred his teeth, fists clenched. She had gone too far this time, Sannin or no.

Tsunade smirked before dealing the final blow.

"The title of Hokage really _is_ a piece of crap."

There was but a moment of silence, just enough time between Tsunade uttering the insulting phrase and Naruto getting up from his seat and slamming his hands down onto the table.

"You bitch!" Shizune and Tonton recoiled at his use of language, but Tsunade met his glare with one of her own. "You couldn't just refuse and walk away but you had to disrespect the Hokage too. Anyone who insults them deserves to get beaten up, even _you_." He pointed an accusing finger at the smirking Sannin.

"Heh." In a flash she had her foot on the table, rising above his height to look down upon Naruto. "You've got some guts kid, to say that to me. Let's step outside and settle this."

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune shouted in scolding; escalating the situation was the last thing they needed.

It didn't matter much because Naruto was already halfway to the door, his face full of angry determination. There was no way he was going to miss a chance like that. Not only could he defend the Hokage, but he could finally test to see if his training had done any good.

The other blonde smirked and pushed past her student, following Naruto out. It had been a while since she had gotten so fired up. It must have been thanks to the drinks she had before.

Jiraiya and Shizune shared a glance before the other Sannin cracked a smile.

_'Well, this should be interesting. I would say Naruto doesn't stand a chance but..he does have a few advantages..'_

Neither of the women knew he had a sharingan, nor did they know about his success with the Fourth's unique jutsu. With that on his side, and more than a bit of holding back on Tsunade's part, the kid might actually lay a finger on her.

000

"It's been a while since I've fought, but I _am_ still one of the Sannin. Using full strength against a genin would be pointless.." Before the fight started, she threw a cheap shot.

She and Naruto stood some ways apart in the dark street with Jiraiya and Shizune on either side. It would be a short fight either way, regardless of how Tsunade tried to spin it.

"That's a shame, but I guess I can finally see this medical ninjutsu of yours in action." Tsunade had a hand on her hip, sending Naruto an odd stare for his comment.

He smirked as he bent his knees, getting prepared.

"For when I knock you on your ass."

Jiraiya smiled, the kid had more than guts if he was willing to say that to Tsunade. The trip was definitely not a waste after all.

Shizune almost pitied Naruto for his ignorance to her master's techniques. Despite the fact she would use less than her full strength, it would be more than enough to possibly harm Naruto.

"Hmph. If you weren't such a brat I might have liked you, gaki." Tsunade held up one finger, her sneer was still prevalent. "This is all I need to beat you."

_'You might just regret that, Tsunade.'_

"Let's make things interesting." Naruto announced, surprising those present.

Tsunade had been expecting him to be at least a little concerned, or angry. If anything, he seemed excited for the match.

"If I win, you have to give me something." At first he used his thumb to point at himself, but then he flicked it back to her. "If you win, I'll do anything you want."

"Oh.." The older woman gleamed, her face contorting into something very suspicious.

_'This is too easy..'_ She thought, already imagining the things she could make him do for her.

"Fine..in fact," Tsunade was so confident her luck had turned, she made another common mistake in gambling; she threw more chips than she could afford into the pot. "I'll go one further: if you can touch me, then I'll give you my necklace, which is worth more than you could count, as well as a personal lesson from me."

Naruto and Jiraiya were intrigued, a personal lesson? What made her want to do that?

"Alright then.." Naruto stood there waiting for Tsunade to begin, but it looked like she had something else on her mind. "What?"

"I want to know something before we start." She narrowed her eyes. "Why do you care about the title of Hokage so much?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment before smiling a little. It was true that for a long time he really didn't think much of it, but recently he had begun putting his efforts into training just for the title.

"It's pretty simple really.." Jiraiya looked at his apprentice and listened, also interested in hearing. "I have people I care about in Konoha. If I'm powerful enough to become Hokage, then I'll be able to protect them with everything I have. That's why I won't stop until I am Hokage, so I can protect those close to me!"

Tsunade's eyes widened a bit, but inside she was almost frozen. His response reminded her so much of Dan and Nawaki; they too had referred to the village and the people inside it as being precious to them. Suddenly, Naruto had found a way past her mental defenses and reached her heart, and he hadn't even realized it.

"Oi, we starting or what?" Naruto asked the stunned woman, impatient.

Tsunade shook her head clear, there wasn't anything different about him. In the end it would all happen again, so for his own good she would beat the love for Hokage right out of him.

"Let's do this, gaki!"

Tsunade ran forward to start the fight, her finger almost touching the ground. Her pose reminded Naruto of Sasuki and the Chidori and he realized she was building up strength. The speed she was running at was almost too fast for him to follow, but he had to time things just right if he wanted to get the drop on her.

"Too slow!" Tsunade brought her arm up, just a foot away.

Their eyes met and Tsunade's fate was sealed.

Shizune couldn't even gasp as her mouth was wide open. Words escaped her as her mind tried to process what was going on.

Jiraiya smirked, so the kid really did have a sharingan implanted in him. Not just one actually, but two.

The slug sannin found herself frozen in midstep as Naruto revealed his sharingan. Tsunade's eyes dilated and quickly she realized that she was no longer in the middle of the street, but rather inside some sort of dungeon with chains holding her arms. Unable to move any part of her body, she was baffled by the fact that not only did he have a sharingan but he knew how to use it!

_'Immediately after activating those damn eyes he cast an illusion on me. Damn..'_ She bit her lip in order to feel pain and break the genjutsu.

When she awoke, Tsunade found herself on the ground. She looked around and saw Jiraiya and Shizune looking at her, both frozen in surprise. Then she looked above her and saw Naruto kneeling directly behind her head.

With one finger he touched the diamond mark on her forehead, smiling.

"Looks like I win." They just looked at one another for a moment before she growled in anger.

When Tsunade's body tensed, Naruto knew it was bad. Her arms reached up and grabbed him by the collar, throwing him down in front of her. His rear slammed into the dirty ground as Tsunade placed him in a deadly hold between her muscular thighs.

Jiraiya's nose began to bleed and he scrambled to grab his journal, thinking up a new idea for his story. To think Tsunade had blessed Naruto with the infamous submission style, leg smothering!

"You tricky little-" When she applied enough pressure, Naruto puffed into smoke.

_'A shadow clone? How the hell does a genin know how to-'_ Tsunade was interrupted from her thought process when the real Naruto walked out from the shadows.

"Oi, isn't that a bit harsh for someone who just beat you?" His sharingan glowed bright red in the dark, making him look quite intimidating.

"If that's the way you want to play it-" Tsunade got back up and created a fist that glowed with chakra. "I'll show you what it means to face a Sannin!"

Naruto's eyes widened before he ran forward, hoping to reach her before she could prepare the technique. The chakra he was seeing wasn't for a technique though, and Tsunade wanted him to get close.

"Tsunade-sama, don't!" Shizune begged, Naruto wouldn't survive a hit from her with full strength.

Before he could even reach half way, Tsunade slammed her fist down into the ground and created a large gap that threatened to swallow the blonde genin. It wasn't like she was actually going to kill him, but spending some time underground might teach him a lesson to respect his betters. Playing a dirty trick like that, how could she acknowledge him?

That was when Naruto chose to do something no one thought he had time for. He created a clone beneath him and used its back as a launching point to jump over the Sannin-made ravine. Not only that, but he was gathering up chakra in his right hand too.

A glowing sphere appeared in his hand as the chakra began to form and rotate. Tsunade couldn't believe her eyes as Naruto suddenly took the shape of the Yondaime Hokage. His attack was completely identical, all the way up to its name that Naruto was currently shouting.

Jiraiya smirked, so the kid had learned something after all.

"..." Tsunade grabbed his protruding arm with both her hands in order to stop the attack, just inches from her bosom.

The pressure of the chakra was enough to make her hair fly behind her as she tried to contain his technique. Naruto's strength was respectable as he tried as hard as he could to reach her chest.

"Not..done..yet!"

_'I-impossible..'_ She felt the chakra grow even stronger and the sphere began to get even bigger.

If he couldn't reach her with his arm, then his chakra definitely would. Before he could get a taste of victory, her hands glowed green and Naruto's arm suddenly felt weak. For good measure Tsunade leaped back to gain distance as Naruto fell to one knee, holding his limp arm.

_'Damn..she weakened my muscles?'_

"Alright, that's enough you two."

The battle was over as Jiraiya stepped between the two of them. If they kept at it there was no doubt the entire town could become a battleground. Naruto had already proven himself plenty worthy to win the challenge as far as those participating were concerned.

Shizune breathed a sigh of relief, though she was quite impressed with Naruto's ability. He was the first man in a while to even lay a finger on Tsunade, quite an impressive feat. Not only that, but to learn Jiraiya's rasengan technique was not something easily done either.

"Hmph." Tsunade grunted before returning to a more relaxed stance.

A bet was a bet, even if it was with an impudent kid like that. She reached up and took hold of her necklace, looking at it with almost a sense of reverence. Then as suddenly as she grabbed it Tsunade ripped it from her neck and threw it toward Naruto where it landed, unceremoniously, on the ground.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, brat. Shizune!" Her apprentice ran back inside to grab their things while Tsunade began to walk away back to their hotel.

She suddenly had lost all the excitement before. Now, the Sannin just wanted to rest her eyes and forget about all the things Naruto made her remember. Dammit, she had already gotten sober.

"Where the hell's my lesson, lady?!" Naruto shouted as he leaned over to pick up the necklace and made sure to be more careful with the gem.

Tsunade said nothing as she continued to walk away, her back to him. Couldn't he see her pride was hurt enough that there was no way she was going to help him out? He would have to ask her some other time when she didn't want to beat him up.

"Let it go, Naruto." Jiraiya said with a hand on the blonde kid's shoulder. "We aren't leaving here until she comes with us, so there will be plenty of time for her to own up to your bet."

"But she said she wasn't going to take the job.."

Jiraiya smirked, throwing a thumb at his chest.

"They don't call me a lady's man for nothing. I'll convince Tsunade-hime soon enough, so for now let's get our stuff and rest."

Naruto didn't like it but he didn't have much of a choice. At least now that they had found Tsunade things were finally starting to move forward. With Jiraiya's training maybe the trip wouldn't be such a waste after all.

000

_The next day.._

000

Naruto and Jiraiya stood in a forest clearing just a little bit outside of Tanzaku. They were out in the beautiful afternoon sun in order to train Naruto for the toad sage had promised that upon finding Tsunade, Naruto would be taught something new. In fact, Jiraiya had changed his plans and chosen two very important techniques that would help the kid out.

After observing his participation in the invasion as well as hearing from Gamabunta what the kid could do, Jiraiya thought of something that would help Naruto in the future. With an affinity for the toads just like Minato, the kid would be following in his footsteps perfectly.

"Okay Naruto, ready to get training?" Jiraiya couldn't help but smile upon seeing the excited blonde ready himself.

Naruto grinned and slammed a fist into his hand, eager to begin. The Shodai Hokage's necklace hung proudly from his neck, hidden beneath his collar.

"Yeah, I've been waiting for this the entire time!"

"Alrighty then, let's not delay any longer! There are too many women for me to go meet back in town, so I'm going to make this fast!" Jiraiya's lecherous grin said all that Naruto needed to know.

At the very least he wouldn't beat around the bush for very long.

"The first thing you need to know is that the two techniques I am teaching you aren't all that amazing apart, but when put together are devastating! They perform a perfect combination move that will have your enemies overwhelmed before they can do anything."

Jiraiya held up one finger to indicate the first technique before he closed his eyes in concentration. Suddenly he jerked his head to the left and launched some dark, gritty substance from his mouth that coated the ground.

"That is Gamayudan, and it is a simple technique that changes chakra in your mouth into oil. It might not seem impressive now, but watch.."

This time Jiraiya went through hand signs which were immediately copied by Naruto's sharingan. Naruto could see the chakra build up in Jiraiya's stomach and could sense the familiarity behind the fire technique.

"**Katon: Endan!**" The toad sage released a fire bullet right at the oil and Naruto saw the attack instantly intensify.

"Wow.." Naruto was impressed.

"You see? Combine these two attacks and there isn't much of anything your opponent can do to stop the attack. Its almost as powerful as combining wind and fire in terms of going up against a water defense. With enough oil and hot enough flame, no amount of water will stop it."

The uses were not lost on Naruto as he went silent for a long while, thinking up certain techniques he could combine them with. Jiraiya was glad the kid was thinking about it but first he had to know how to do it!

For the next hour or so the older man was able to teach Naruto the basics of converting chakra into a new substance, like oil. It was a lot more difficult than a normal technique because it required more than shape or nature transformation—an innate understanding of the substance itself, as well as its composition was necessary.

Naruto was an Uchiha though and not only that, he had first experience with toads. Soon enough he was beginning to catch on.

Jiraiya didn't even worry about the fire technique because the kid was a natural with the affinity. Not only that, he had the sharingan to reteach him the seals and basically allow him to do it automatically. With enough practice, the blonde could eventually create a flame bullet without a single hand seal.

Best not to tell him that or else his ego would only grow.

Eventually Jiraiya excused himself to go on the mentioned research trip. It was obvious at that point he was no longer needed as Naruto continued to practice the oil and fire techniques without any outside input. The chakra Naruto had at his disposal would allow him to train for the rest of the day before submitting to fatigue, if not longer.

Besides, he had someone else watching over him already.

"See anything interesting, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked from a tree branch a few feet above the woman.

She had been watching them since the beginning but only Jiraiya had picked up on it. Perhaps she was actually interested in his progress as a ninja, or maybe she wanted to see if her loss was just a fluke. Either way, it must have been painfully obvious Naruto was not the fool she originally took him for.

"His dedication is impressive." Tsunade admitted, arms crossed. "But teaching a kid like him that technique, isn't that a bit risky?"

Jiraiya just watched Naruto for a little while. The kid was just as much of a genius as his sister or even his father, but he had a certain kind of stupid determination that Jiraiya had only seen in one other person—himself. Just by looking into Naruto's eyes, anyone could see that he would use all his strength to protect those close to him.

"He's a lot like me, I guess you could say. Not just that, he reminds me of Minato. The nindo he lives by is what will keep him and those around him safe. There is no way he would harm anyone he cared about."

Tsunade wondered if a jinchuuriki could make that claim. The fact remained that he was capable of pulling off a Kage-level technique at the age of thirteen, as well as possessing one of the most powerful doujutsu of the world. She still couldn't believe they would allow such a dangerous operation on the village's container, but it appears to have been a bet she wouldn't have won.

There were too many of those, she thought with a grimace.

"Are you going to live up to your side of the deal, Tsunade?"

"Psh. Not until the kid comes to me on his hands and kne-"

Her old team-mate dropped down from his perch, his eyes straight and narrow. It was clear she had the wrong idea.

"You know what deal I mean, Tsunade."

Orochimaru. Was that all he could think of when they were together—the third wheel in their group?

"You aren't very subtle, are you?"

"When it comes to things like this, I can be pretty direct."

It was clear to her that Jiraiya would continue to interfere until she gave some sort of answer. The truth was, she wasn't prepared to comment on that yet. She was putting it off, just like she did with everything that had to do with Konoha and her past life.

"I'll tell you right now, Tsunade..that if you are going to agree to the deal, I _will_ kill you."

The blonde didn't even flinch, considering the situation they were in. Still, somewhere inside her heart its foundations shook when her team-mate said that to her.

They stared each other for down for a short pause before Tsunade shrugged.

"Let's go out drinking tonight. We can discuss it in detail."

Surprised by her offer, Jiraiya accepted. Maybe there was a chance he could still get through to her. He may have said he would kill her with a straight face, but he wasn't so sure it would be that easy for him to do.

After all, no matter how abusive and cold she could be, she was still his princess.

000

_The next day.._

000

_'This is bad..where the hell are you, Jiraiya?!'_

Naruto had run all the way around town in search of his teacher but found nothing. Instead, he decided to go to the address of the slug sannin in hopes they knew where he was. Luckily, in an attempt at apologizing, Shizune had given Jiraiya a note with their address and room number in order for him to keep tabs on Tsunade.

With even more luck, the sage had left it on the dresser near Naruto's bed.

"Oi, have you guys-" Naruto opened the door in a rush as he called out his question, but stopped when he saw Tsunade's apprentice on the ground. "Shizune-san!"

He ran over to check whether she was still alive or not. Had Orochimaru struck early? Tsunade was nowhere in the room to be seen and Tonton sat on the bed, nervously watching. With a bit of force he shook the medic awake and was relieved to see her crack her eyes open.

"Shizune-san.."

"Naruto-kun?" She croaked, trying to get her bearings.

That was when she remembered Tsunade had knocked her unconscious and adrenaline flowed through her.

"Where is Tsunade?! Did she-" Looking around the room, it was obvious what the answer was.

"Yeah, where is the blonde anyway? I figured this is where you both lived.."

Shizune stood up and realized what time of day it was. The meeting between Sannin would happen very soon and she would have to hurry to make it!

"Naruto-kun, stay here!" She ran over to the window and opened it, ready to jump.

A kunai embedded itself in the wall inches from her face. She looked over to see Jiraiya leaning against the building, barely standing on his own two feet.

"You're.."

Naruto ran over and looked out the window too, astonished to see his teacher in such a condition. That was the man he was looking for alright, but Jiraiya looked terrible.

"Wait a minute, Shizune.." Jiraiya managed to say before his legs gave out, forcing him to kneel.

As it turned out, Tsunade had drugged him with a numbing poison the night before. Right as they were both indulging themselves in alcohol she somehow got it into his drink. Not only did it keep him from moving but it made molding chakra difficult.

Shizune quickly created a soluble antidote and mixed it with water for the toad sage to drink. They quickly came to a mutual understanding of Tsunade's general plan and knew she had to be stopped.

After a quick rest, the three plus Tonton were headed in the direction of the town's famous castle walls. Hopefully they wouldn't be too late.

000

_For the Reader's Convenience..._

000

A smoke bomb slammed into Tsunade's chest, covering the battlefield.

Kabuto had been in the middle of approaching her and quickly retreated to a safe distance. Had the reinforcements arrived earlier than he had predicted?

Tsunade saw Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune appear in front of her. So it seemed she couldn't keep them out of the fight after all. Perhaps there was still a chance for her to end it all right there.

Jiraiya spared a glance to Tsunade to check on her condition, but quickly gravitated toward Orochimaru. So, the snake had come out to play.

"Orochimaru, I see you look just as horrifying as the last time we met." The white skinned man smirked.

"It doesn't seem like time has removed that tongue of yours, Jiraiya. Perhaps I should do it instead?"

A grudge match like no other was brewing—not just between the two Sannin, but between the two younger boys as well.

"Kabuto..I knew you were trouble." Naruto gritted his teeth in anger.

If only they had fought during the exam so that he could really teach the traitor a lesson.

"Naruto-kun, don't start thinking you stand a chance against me. You may own the sharingan, but your ability pales in comparison to Sasuki. That is why Orochimaru desires her body, not yours." Kabuto prepared a kunai as he mocked Naruto, readying himself.

"The Kyuubi was the only thing we were afraid of, but there is no doubt that you are of little threat in comparison to the Sannin."

If he wanted to get Naruto angry, he was doing a good job. Jiraiya also knew that they were underestimating Naruto's abilities, but better for them to learn the hard way. The genin just had to keep his cool to capitalize on his own strengths.

"Out of the way!" Tsunade ran past them, knocking Jiraiya over in a heap.

She immediately leaped into the air to bring a kick around to Kabuto's head, but he ducked. When Tsunade landed she sent a punch straight for his head, forcing the spy to block. Another kick sent his kunai straight into a boulder, leaving him to fight bare handed.

"I'll finish both of you off right here!" The Sannin proclaimed, laying punch after punch against Kabuto's defense.

He found himself backed against the same boulder with his kunai and quickly grabbed it.

"Too slow!" He wouldn't be able to bring it up in time to defend.

Unfortunately, Kabuto didn't have to. With a single slice to his own palm, enough blood spilled on Tsunade to completely freeze her.

"Taking on two Sannin would be difficult enough..but at least that's one down!" With a single punch he sent Tsunade flying back, but she was caught by Shizune.

Kabuto retreated to Orochimaru's side as Jiraiya got back up and prepared himself. It looked like the battle lines had been drawn. With Tsunade out of the picture, it would be up to Naruto and Shizune to handle Kabuto while the last two Sannin fought one another.

"Okay, Naruto and Shizune, you two handle Kabuto. I've got Orochimaru."

"What are you waiting for? Do it!" Orochimaru ordered and Kabuto applied blood on the summoning seal tattooed onto the Sannin's left arm.

Then he began going through hand signs.

"I don't think so!" Jiraiya did the same and slammed his hand down to summon Gamabunta, though his chakra might have been a bit off.

Two large snakes quickly appeared beneath Orochimaru and Kabuto, lifting them up high into the air. The powerful position instilled a sense of superiority in the Oto shinobi while it demoralized the others.

Jiraiya had no such luck in molding chakra and was only able to summon Gamakichi, the son of Gamabunta. No bigger than Tonton, he would be doing little fighting against a summon that large.

"Yo, what's up!" The toad said with a wave, not understanding the danger.

"Damn." Jiraiya muttered, the drug was still too strong.

"Hehe..I knew you had no talent Jiraiya, but that's pitiful." Orochimaru cackled.

"Without a summon this fight is pretty much over.." Kabuto said with a smirk, adjusting his glasses.

"Naruto?" Shizune saw him shaking with anger, but was surprised when he too bit his thumb and went through hand signs.

"**Kuchiyose!**"

Everyone's eyes widened upon realizing the blonde had access to the same technique. When had he gotten so powerful?

The last time Orochimaru saw him he was an overconfident boy who knew nothing of how to fight. All he relied on was brute strength. Since when did he learn any kind of ninjutsu?

"Perhaps I should have killed him during the exams after all.." The snake sannin muttered, his face contorted into a deep frown.

"Is this..the power of the Nine Tails?" Kabuto asked himself, not believing it.

"Naruto-kun, this is-" Shizune started to say but was cut off by a smiling Jiraiya.

"Amazing, right? He is _my_ student after all."

Naruto stood atop Gamabunta's head with his arms crossed in defiance. He felt bad about summoning the toad so soon after their battle in Konoha, but it seemed like tough battles followed Naruto everywhere. Jiraiya was going to need the summon's help after all, so it was better to go all out from the start.

"Naruto, are you making this a habit or something?" Gamabunta shouted, smoking his pipe.

In the meanwhile he was taking in his surroundings and saw the two snakes with Orochimaru on them. Now it was starting to make sense why he was summoned.

"Sorry boss toad, but if I didn't summon you Jiraiya would have if he could. We need your help against these guys.."

"Jiraiya's here?" The toad sage leaped up onto the summon's head to make his presence known.

"Yeah, and I'm not in good shape. I'm having difficulty controlling my chakra, so I need your help in fighting these summons."

Jiraiya turned to Naruto and gave him a reassuring nod.

"I'll handle things with Gamabunta, Naruto. Take care of Tsunade and beat the crap out of that Kabuto guy."

"Understood!"

The blonde leaped off of the toad's head and returned to Shizune's side who was trying to care for the comatose Tsunade.

Without warning the two snakes dove forward in an attempt to seize the initiative, but Gamabunta was ready. He revealed his blade and sliced through one of their heads and blocked the other one by sitting on top of it.

Kabuto was on the head that was cut off and waited for it to hit the ground. The weight behind it sent dust and rock flying into the air, in which he used the confusion to launch himself at Shizune and Tsunade.

Naruto saw what he was doing and tried to reach him, jumping to and from the rocks in midair. He knew that Kabuto was too strong for Shizune to handle easily, only his sharingan would be able to match him.

000

"**Doton: Yomi Numa!**" In a perfect position to immobilize the enemy with Gamabunta holding it down, Jiraiya declared his next technique.

They began to sink into a large body of murky water that would keep Orochimaru from escaping. Jiraiya leaped down onto the snake while Gamabunta jumped away and held steady. There was a chance he would be needed at another time so the toad sage asked him to remain where he was.

"Come then, Jiraiya!" Orochimaru launched himself at his old team-mate; arms or no, he was still a threatening opponent.

Jiraiya went through more hand signs and his hair began to grow longer and harden. His team-mate had elongated his neck in an attempt to bite him, so hopefully the shield would be enough to hold him back.

"**Hari Jizō!**" In a protective layer around him, the hair was Jiraiya's best defense.

Unfortunately the drug prevented it from completely encompassing his body and, by allowing his foot to get impaled, Orochimaru peeled enough of it away to bite Jiraiya on the neck.

"Give it up.." The snake said, slightly muffled. "Even with our weaknesses its clear who is still on top."

000

Shizune was launched back by a strike to her chest by Kabuto. It would keep her out of the fight by weakening her ability to breathe, as he had done to Tsunade. Unfortunately for her, she did not have the ability to repair it fast enough to keep up.

Before Kabuto could even approach Tsunade, Naruto landed in front of him. The distraction the snake's death caused wasn't enough to keep Naruto out of the fight for long, though the oto shinobi would have preferred if it did.

"I thought I said to keep out of my way, Naruto-kun."

"Right now.." Naruto readied a kunai as he activated his sharingan, ready to fight. "All I want to do is teach you a lesson!"

Kabuto smirked and ran forward, meeting the blonde half way. They engaged in close combat but it was clear that Naruto was not only able to dodge his moves but get around Kabuto's defense. After getting a few good slices in, the Uchiha forced him to retreat.

_'So, the sharingan isn't just for show. He really does know how to use it..'_ That would make things a bit difficult, but no matter.

Kabuto hadn't noticed the ground before, but during his fight with Shizune, Naruto had released a small amount of oil around the place where he was standing. The only reason he fought the oto shinobi in close combat was to get him into the right position, and now all he needed was to light it.

"**Katon: Endan!**" The speed with which he released the flame bullet was fast, faster than a normal fireball technique.

Kabuto was still able to dodge the attack but was confused when it wasn't aimed for him. He looked down upon feeling something odd against the soles of his sandals and then realized he had been tricked. It was too late though and the oil caught fire with Kabuto still in the area.

Naruto watched Kabuto's chakra signature with his eyes and knew that he had successfully hit him. The problem was that the medical ninja's chakra was focusing around his skin and he seemed to be healing himself as the attack itself happened. When the fire died down, he saw Kabuto's skin quickly recovering to its original color and state, sizzling smoke rising from the wounds.

"Nicely done..Naruto-kun." Kabuto said with a bit of difficulty, he had to catch his breath. "I wasn't expecting you to know those techniques.."

"Sometimes you can assume too much." Naruto ran forward and created a great number of clones to capitalize on Kabuto's weakness.

Meanwhile, the Sannin watched from a distance.

000

"That boy, while he does have some potential, it is merely riding off the back of the sharingan. He is nothing to a true Uchiha, a born prodigy like Sasuki. Why you waste your time with him is beyond me." Orochimaru said during a break between his battle with Jiraiya.

The toad sage panted in exasperation, but grinned nonetheless.

"Sure, he's got the eyes, but he's more than just an Uchiha knockoff." The man had a sudden flashback to a very familiar woman with red hair before uttering his next line. "That kid is an Uzumaki!"

Orochimaru didn't see any reason why that was particularly significant, but smiled nonetheless. Perhaps there was more to the kid than what he was seeing—with the summon he brought out. Not that it mattered after Akatsuki was through with him.

That gave Orochimaru an idea though. If Kabuto failed in defeating Naruto, perhaps he could finish the job and ensure the organization failed in its mission to capture the Kyuubi. He might be killing two birds with one stone if it meant Sasuki would be more willing to join him.

000

Kabuto was having little difficulty keeping up with the clones, but had problems striking any meaningful blows against them. With the sharingan the jutsu made a deadly combination, but they were extremely tiring for Naruto to keep up. Just a bit longer and-

"**Bunshin Daibakuha!**" One of the clones had leaped for Kabuto and subsequently exploded.

The blast sent Orochimaru's servant flying and rolling on the ground. He suddenly found it difficult to get up and discovered that his legs had been severely weakened from the blast.

Naruto approached him, breathing heavily in exhaustion. A few clones remained but they popped in order to allow Naruto to conserve his energy.

_'This is bad..I'm almost out of chakra just from keeping up with the sharingan.'_

"This battle..its over!" Naruto threw a few shuriken at Kabuto, but he managed to roll out of the way.

The older boy was able to get up to his feet, albeit unsteadily, and rush Naruto. Chakra gathered around Kabuto's hands as he tried very hard to strike at the vital organs, but it wasn't fast enough to beat the sharingan.

Through exhaustion, Naruto's stamina kept him going until his enemy was on the ground and beaten. He weaved in and out of each strike and readied a kunai to attack Kabuto. The oto-nin's offense was sloppy and it left his defense weak, which Naruto capitalized on and gave him a few good slices across the arms and chest.

With great strength he threw the kunai point blank as he ducked underneath another strike. It impaled Kabuto in the leg which threw him off balance. In the meantime Naruto had tucked his arms close to his stomach and was gathering chakra for the rasengan.

"Guh-" Kabuto felt the pain of the kunai and was unable to kick Naruto with the leg while his arms were already extended.

_'Is this really..the true strength of the sharingan?'_ He had been beaten by someone who was supposed to be no one.

How could this happen?

"**Rasengan!**" The sphere hit just as it was supposed to in Kabuto's gut, eliciting a grunt of pain.

Kabuto was sent flying into a boulder on the other side of the battlefield. Though he could slowly heal the wounds, his chakra had run out. That meant that his usefulness had run dry as well.

_'Sorry, Orochimaru-sama..it seems I..can go no further..'_

Naruto lowered himself to one knee and immediately deactivated his sharingan. That was enough for him to be done, his chakra was almost completely out. At least he was able to beat Kabuto which meant Tsunade would be safe to recover in peace as long as Jiraiya-

"Time to die, brat!" Orochimaru was flying toward Naruto with Jiraiya nowhere to be seen.

Gamabunta couldn't react in time and Shizune was still unconscious. The snake sannin revealed the sword of kusanagi from his mouth and prepared to impale Naruto. Finally his ambitions would come to fruition.

"Not yet!"

A blur appeared in front of Naruto and then blood was spilled once again.

Orochimaru realized that Tsunade had blocked the attack and quickly returned the sword to inside of him. He frowned in disappointment that the slug sannin had used her body as a shield. Of all the people there, she was the last one he wanted to hurt.

"Tsunade, listen. I must kill that boy in order for an organization of shinobi to fail in their quest. Stay out of my way or-"

He was cut off when Tsunade growled.

"If I do anything.." She grunted out, clearly in pain. "It will be to protect this boy..who has such a powerful dream."

"Dreams of a child mean nothing in the world of shinobi. You know this better than anyone, Tsunade." Thoughts of Nawaki awakened in her, but she refused to accept them.

"I have entrusted this boy with my grandfather's necklace because he has proven..that he is a capable shinobi. And you, Orochimaru, have no right to take that from him!"

Orochimaru's frown deepened, but he realized that with her wound she would be slower than last time. He tried to flicker past her, but was intercepted again as Tsunade used her body to shield the immobile Naruto.

_'Dammit..Tsunade has to protect me..I can't even move..'_ A fight between Sannin, even if he had the energy he would just get in the way.

"For one last time..I'm betting it all on this boy.." She whispered, holding the kusanagi tight as it pierced her stomach. "For him to be the next Hokage..after me..I will take up that mantle..even if it's just to keep his seat warm."

"Tsunade..you!"

"And you, Orochimaru..I'll make my first act as Hokage to kill you!"

Naruto and Shizune watched from the sidelines as the battle once again morphed into a three way grudge match between Sannin. Gray smoke covered the area as two new summons were brought out and the Godaime Hokage finally revealed herself.

000

_For the Reader's Convenience.._

000

_A week later.._

_Konohagakure_

000

"To be honest, a situation like this has never happened before. Some have said that no one should qualify because the final exam was incomplete.."

Tsunade sat at her desk in the Hokage's office, flanked by many other shinobi. Shizune was present as well as all the important Chunin exam proctors. They all had some sort of relevant input for Tsunade, the new Hokage, to take into consideration when making this decision.

"However, its come to my attention that the Sandaime was particularly impressed by your fights. You two held yourselves to a standard of shinobi no one else was able to equal, both in your technique and character."

She smiled, looking over the two of them. They were confused, even shocked by what she was telling them. That was alright though, she knew both of them would fit the role very nicely. It would take some getting used to but at least one of them was fully ready to take on the responsibility.

Of that, she knew first hand.

"All of the feudal lords in attendance as well as the proctors you see here have supported that recommendation. That means that there is really little else for me to do but make it official."

"Keep up the good work and do not bring dishonor to the hitai-ate you wear." She laced her hands in front of her. "Today, you are officially made Chunin!"

All of the elder shinobi smiled as Tsunade prepared their certificates of promotion and flak vests. It was always a proud moment to see genin advance themselves. For some of them like Anko or Shizune, it was always their faces that pleased them the most.

That was why it was so hard for them to keep a straight face, looking at the two new Chunin.

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at one another, still floored by the fact they were being promoted. Not but five minutes ago they were called to Tsunade's office with little idea of what lay in store, then she dropped that huge bomb after a powerful buildup. What were they supposed to say?

"Oi..Shikamaru.." Naruto muttered, their eyes meeting.

"Y-yeah..?" The Nara responded, similarly finding it difficult to speak.

"Where the hell did this come from?"

Shikamaru didn't have an answer to that, but he did know one thing. It was something he was quite willing to say out loud, even in front of the instructors and Hokage that had been so proud a moment ago.

"I don't know..but this is going to be a drag for both of us. I can already tell."

000

_Konohagakure_

_Uchiha Compound_

000

"Yo, I'm back!"

"Ah, Naruto-kun. Welcome hom-, Oh my!"

Naruto had walked into the family room where Mikoto was having some tea. He immediately regretted his loud entrance after seeing how at peace the older woman was. It wasn't long before he perked up and puffed his chest out in pride when Mikoto noticed his flak vest and put the pieces together.

"Naruto..you made Chunin?" She asked lightly, as if the entire situation was a fragile illusion that would be broken with the wrong word.

"Yep!" Naruto beamed, hands on his hips. "Now I can finally protect you and Sasuki-chan with all my strength."

The matriarch got up from her seat and went over to hug Naruto. She got down to one knee and brought him in close, her arms wrapping around his body. Chunin or not, he was still just a boy.

But he was her boy, and she couldn't be any more proud.

"I knew you could do it." A small tear of happiness flew down her cheek, but she hid it well with Naruto's face hidden in her bosom.

_'Kaa-san..smells nice..'_ A light blush covered Naruto's cheeks as he wished to stay like that even longer.

"I'll have to prepare a special meal tonight, what do you say?"

Naruto smiled and was about to answer when he heard footsteps from behind. They looked together to see Sasuki come back in from training outside, back in her blue collar shirt and white shorts. At first it seemed as if she didn't notice Naruto's vest, her eyes only recognizing he was home.

When her vision eventually gravitated to his chest, that was when she realized what had happened. So that was why he was called away to the Hokage's office so soon after his mission. It had been bothering her since he had left and out of all the possibilities she had come up with, this was the one she despised the most.

Despite herself and knowing how petty it was, Sasuki couldn't help but get jealous of her brother.

Mikoto and Naruto became concerned when Sasuki didn't say anything for a long while. Her eyes went from curious and happy to conflicted and annoyed as soon as she saw the jacket.

"Sasuki.." Naruto said, unable to think of anything to ease her frustrations.

The Uchiha girl seemed to awaken by him calling her name. She walked past the two without a word and it looked like she was going to leave the compound.

After the training they had done together, Mikoto hoped it would calm Sasuki's anger. It seemed that Naruto's return, no matter how much of a happy time it was for them, was enough to tip the balances again. Her daughter was so conflicted; on the one hand she loved Naruto but on the other her desire to defeat Itachi made her own weaknesses visible, even painful for her to see.

Naruto's strength as someone close to her with similar abilities created something for her to compare herself to. Now that he was growing stronger and other people were acknowledging it, Sasuki longed for the same feeling. She wanted or maybe even needed to know she was strong.

Considering how the situation had slowly been spiraling out of control since Itachi returned, there were fewer and fewer ways for Sasuki to prove her strength.

Mikoto feared that soon her daughter might turn on Naruto in order to test herself. If Sasuki discovered the secret behind the Mangekyō then Naruto's life could be in danger.

"Kaa-san." Naruto's voice woke Mikoto from her thoughts.

He looked concerned, his vision immediately going from her to the door. She had to comfort him or else she would have two Uchiha on the loose.

"Naruto-kun, for now just give Sasuki some space. Give her some time alone to think." Naruto didn't seem satisfied with that, so Mikoto pouted.

"You said you would help me as a Chunin, are you going back on your word? Come on, you can help with dinner." Naruto smiled and agreed.

If he couldn't do anything for Sasuki, as much as it pained him to admit to it, then he would help Mikoto. After all, those two were what kept him going every day. It was thanks to them he even had that vest.

"Excuse me.." Naruto turned to see Shino at the doorway, taking off his shoes.

Seeing his team-mate after so long cheered him up. So much so he ran to the door and almost tackled Shino.

"Hey, Shino! Good to see you!" He shouted in his friend's ear who bristled uncomfortably by their close contact.

"Naruto.." Well, considering the situation, Shino could let it slide.

Realizing that he was making Shino uncomfortable, Naruto backed off. He scratched his head in embarrassment but continued to smile at his friend.

"I see you were promoted, congratulations. Your match was exceptional." The Aburame complimented, nodding in his direction.

Hearing a compliment from Shino was rare, especially one so direct like that, so Naruto wasn't sure how to react.

"Aw..thanks Shino. I'm not sure if I deserve it yet but I won't let you or anyone else down. Its because you all supported me that I got this far." Shino wondered if that were true.

Could Naruto have gotten just as far if he had no one? He supposed the answer already came from Naruto's battle from Gaara. Friendship, team-mates—they really were powerful things.

It made Shino happy to be a part of Team 7.

"Oh, Shino-kun?" Mikoto peeked her head out the kitchen door to see what was keeping Naruto.

Seeing Naruto and Sasuki's team-mate brought a smile on her face. All the more to enjoy the meal she was making; it would be especially good with more company.

"Excuse me for my intrusion." Shino did a slight bow to the matriarch who playfully waved her hand.

"You are too formal, Shino-kun. Come on in and make yourself comfortable."

Naruto waved his friend in and followed him inside.

"Naruto, go find Jiraiya-sama and invite him too. Tell him its my way of thanking him for your training." The thought of Jiraiya being around Mikoto made Naruto a bit uncomfortable.

Maybe if it was just for dinner things would work out alright.

000

_'Naruto is already a Chunin..he's learned so many techniques..even Itachi recognized him. What the hell have I been doing?'_

Sasuki sat alone in a tree somewhere off the beaten path in Konoha. She was just trying to get her thoughts straight and there was no way she could pull that off if she was hanging around Naruto. Even if he didn't know it, every second she spent with him just seemed to bother her more.

It wasn't Naruto, it was his progress. It was the raw ability he had shown to have over Sasuki, a natural born Uchiha. How was he beating her? Was it really impossible for her to reach Itachi's level?

If she couldn't even make Chunin then that said a lot about her abilities. Even if she did love him..he was really making life hard on her.

As Sasuki wallowed in self-destruction, four figures watched her from a distance. With orders from their master they were there to present the girl with a choice. It was an option that Orochimaru seemed to have no doubt she would choose the right answer to. Though their opinions may have differed, the Sound Four's job wasn't to question, just to do.

And what they came there to do was nothing good.

"Shall we go?" Sakon said with a smirk.

They disappeared in a blur and reappeared high above, using the sunlight as a mask.

Sasuki detected their presence and got up, readying herself. Each one landed on a different branch, surrounding her. Her eyes passed between each one, trying to see if she could recognize them or even figure out their strength. The one with six arms had a Sound forehead protector and that told her all she needed to know.

"You are sound shinobi?" She asked, rhetorically.

Sasuki's eyes narrowed as she prepared to fight. The smirks they were all wearing only served to piss her off more. Where the hell did they get off acting confident around an Uchiha?

"I'm Kidomaru." Said the one with six arms.

"I'm Sakon." The one with gray hair and a lump on his back spoke next.

"I am Jirobo." The large one.

"Tayuya." The girl.

Sasuki's eyes passed by each one. The names weren't important to her so why the hell were they wasting her time?

Perhaps they picked up on her impatience since they dispersed, too fast for her to follow. Her eyes darted around trying to find one.

Suddenly, Kidomaru appeared in front of her ready with a punch from one of his arms. She blocked it and used a hand on his back to push herself into the air. Sakon came around from behind, but her legs were already moving as she sent a kick to his chest, forcing him into the trunk.

Tayuya came to check on him as Jirobo appeared on the branch and sent a punch toward Sasuki. The Uchiha set her feet back down on the ground and hooked her right arm with Kidomaru's, blocked Jirobo's strike, then grabbed his outstretched wrist.

With great strength she sent both of them flying back toward Sakon and Tayuya and found no small pleasure in the resulting crash. Surprise and further annoyance came next when the smoke cleared to reveal four logs, substitution. She turned to see all four of them unharmed standing on a nearby balcony, all of them were still wearing those damn smirks.

"I'm not in a good mood so let's get this over with!"

She beckoned with a roar, and they obliged.

000

_Some time later..._

000

Sasuki was crouched down, breathing heavily on a rooftop. Across from her were the Sound Four, looking no worse for wearr. She had put in an effort to beat them without using any ability, just taijutsu and tactics, but it wasn't enough.

As far as she could tell, they were going easy on her too.

"You see, after all that energy you got nothing back." Sakon shouted. "This village is just a waste of time, you aren't gaining anything here. Did you really think those pitiful missions they sent you on did any good?"

"You saw for yourself how far you are from Itachi Uchiha, didn't you?" Tayuya said in a mocking tone. "What has staying here done for you? Can't you feel the power in your veins? Orochimaru can make you even stronger, you just need to follow us."

"We have no freedom, we must do as he commands. To gain strength, you have to sacrifice." Kidomaru claimed.

"What the hell are you telling me all this for..what the hell do you get out of this?!" Sasuki shouted, frustrated at her weakness and annoyed that they didn't know when to shut up.

Just like that bastard Orochimaru, they didn't know when to quit.

What the hell kind of life was that? She didn't even know what Orochimaru had to offer and going to live with him did not sound like a good deal at all. Did they really think something like that would get through to her?

"Orochimaru knows your desire to kill Itachi Uchiha. We are only here to tell you the truth, that the only place you will get that strength is with him. The choice is yours." Sakon shrugged, he really didn't see much in the girl.

If she what Orochimaru wanted though, he would get her.

"Come find us if you are interested."

Sasuki watched them leave and found herself alone once again. What the hell kind of a day was she having? First Naruto becomes Chunin and then a bunch of rejects from Sound come to the village just to beat her up.

Now what the hell was she supposed to do?

000

_Later that night.._

000

"Sasuki-sama..we've been waiting." Sakon announced in an oddly soft tone.

The Sound Four had indeed been waiting just outside the village, as ordered. After their little display of power, the plan was the Uchiha would come to them willingly to Oto. They didn't have long though as Orochimaru had a schedule to keep. In need of a new body, Sasuki was to be that new vessel.

But, she didn't need to know that.

"What's with the respectful tone?" She asked, finding it funny they were suddenly bowing before her.

"Upon leaving the village it was said that you would be our leader. Please forgive us for our rude behavior."

Upon taking a second look at Sasuki, he found something off about her appearance. She didn't seem to have any backpack for belongings or provisions for a trip. Indeed, she looked like she was heading out for a mission rather than going with them. What was she thinking?

"How ironic.." Sasuki smiled, that ego boost made what she was about to say even easier. ".because the last thing I came out here to do was join you."

They all looked up in surprise, but Sasuki was gone in a blur. Before any of them could move, she reappeared in front of Sakon with her fist reared back.

"I'm going to kill every one of you!" The leader was sent flying back as the other three scrambled to react.

Before Tayuya could even get her feet off the ground, Sasuki twisted her body and sent a devastating kick to the red head's chest. The hit sent the girl flying into a nearby tree, shattering the trunk.

Jirobo enveloped Sasuki in a bear hug and attempted to siphon her chakra, only for her to disappear into a log. He looked around to try and find her but could see nothing. A great pain shot through his skull as a shadow descended from above; Sasuki's leg hit the side of Jirobo's head and sent him flying too.

All that was left was the six armed freak, Kidomaru. He readied himself in a defensive stance but realized too late the girl was done with taijutsu. To fight someone with six arms in close combat was pointless, even with her eyes.

That was why she would burn him to a crisp from afar.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" The fireball emerged from her mouth and enveloped Kidomaro, but she knew it was too easy.

She canceled the technique and activated her sharingan to see the Sound Four had formed up on the other side of the clearing. The atmosphere was different from how it was in Konoha—they actually looked hurt, and pissed. Sasuki smirked as she readied herself for another attack.

When she went home after fighting the Sound Four, she decided that to grow she would need to fight. She realized that she didn't want to hurt those close to her, no matter how much it might help her. That was why she decided to fight the Sound Four.

Who would care if they died? Most of all, they proved to be especially challenging earlier. Everyone was holding back during that fight, even her.

Now she would lay everything on the line to prove her strength.

Sakon cracked his neck and glared at Sasuki. Then he started to smile when he remembered what Kabuto had told him before leaving the hideout.

"_Orochimaru-sama may have said not to do much damage, but if she refuses, do whatever you must to activate her seal and bring her back. There can be no delay."_

"You just made a big mistake, little girl." He said, grabbing a bottle of pills from his clothes.

They all knew what was coming and activated their curse marks. In case Sasuki acted like that they had a plan to deal with her. She may have had the choice to come or go, but by leaving she had chosen to come whether willingly or by force.

It looked like they got to do the fun one after all.

"Tayuya, Kidomaru, Jirobo.." They looked between one another then Sasuki; Sakon held up the small little pill with no amount of sadistic joy. "Hold her down so I can force this down her throat."

"Just try it. I'm going to destroy every one of you!" Sasuki began building up chakra in her right hand, readying a chidori.

She would prove she was strong enough to kill Itachi. There would be no doubt in anyone's mind when she was done that Sasuki Uchiha was powerful!

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage's Office_

000

Naruto and Shikamaru were not having a good day. First, both of them woke up with resounding headaches thanks in no small part to the second reason why they were having a terrible day; the Godaime had sent messengers to wake them up early in the morning. Now they couldn't even complain because the atmosphere in her office was deathly serious, which was never good.

Tsunade looked between the two of them. So young, this wasn't a burden she wanted to place on them easily. Especially Naruto, considering his relationship with Sasuki.

There was no time for consideration or pleasantries though, not in a situation like that.

"Last night, Sasuki Uchiha was seen leaving the village." Naruto and Shikamaru's eyes widened, shocked. "We believe that she may be headed toward Orochimaru in Oto."

"How do we know this?" Shikamaru brought himself to ask, hoping the answer would help Naruto.

He knew this would be a lot harder on the blonde than him. Unfortunately, Tsunade didn't seem like she had much of an answer.

"We don't know, and honestly its not important." She noted that Naruto's teeth were barred, he was getting angry at her. "There is also the chance she was kidnapped, but considering she did leave the village alone, it is difficult to make that assumption."

Naruto clenched his fists and glared at the Hokage.

"_What the hell _are you saying? Sasuki is a shinobi of the Leaf, and my sister! She wouldn't-"

"Naruto, hold your tongue!" Tsunade's harsh voice made him stop. "Clearly her being either of those things hasn't improved her judgment any. Right now what you should be focused on is the mission I'm giving the both of you!"

They waited for her to calm down and listened as she continued.

"This will be your first mission as Chunin, and it is very important. Your orders are to retrieve Sasuki Uchiha, whatever it takes."

Shikamaru was already thinking of Sasuki and how it might be easiest to stop her. If it was just her, it wouldn't be difficult right?

"Don't get overconfident though, you should expect trouble. It's obvious she has no way to find her way to Orochimaru, so expect some of his ninja to be with her."

Shit, that made things more complicated. They also knew just about nothing about any shinobi from the Sound so any strategy they made would have to be on the battlefield. The worst time to make one, as far as Shikamaru was concerned.

Naruto remained quiet, his thoughts elsewhere.

Tsunade felt for him, but there was no way she could afford to exclude him from the mission. Even more so, she was quite sure he would never forgive her if she did. If anyone had a chance of confronting Sasuki and bringing her back, it was him.

"Okay, but to accomplish this mission it will need to be more than just Naruto and I. What about Kakashi or Asuma?"

The Hokage cursed Sasuki and Orochimaru's timing for their plan. She had sent most of her jounin away on missions. Just last night she had an urgent reconnaissance mission she had to request Mikoto and Kakashi handle. Now all they had left was a handful of chunin and genin with only a skeleton crew of jounin she required for defense.

"You know that I can't do that. Most of them are away on missions, the rest are needed here. You two will have to rely on genin for now." That didn't make Shikamaru feel any better. "Since you all know each other, at least your teamwork will be top notch."

Tsunade looked between the two of them. They were hurting inside, but shared the same goal; bringing Sasuki back whatever it took. That was what they needed right now, a goal to set themselves to. If they had that, then maybe they would do alright.

"Now go, and hurry!"

The two left her office on the order, but Naruto lagged behind. His only thoughts were of Sasuki and trying to figure out why this was happening. What led her to want to leave? It had to be more than his promotion.

Whatever it was, Orochimaru was behind it. He said he would kill that snake back in the exams and he was ready to fulfill it!

First, he needed to reach Sasuki before she made a terrible mistake.

000

"Okay, listen up!" Shikamaru shouted as they leaped through the trees.

They wanted to waste no time in catching up considering the enemy had a whole night to move. As soon as the two leaders had haphazardly gathered together the few genin left in the village, they had immediately set out.

"Here's the plan. Kiba and I are in front with Naruto behind me. That gives us our tracker and tactician in a position to react to any enemy formation, as well as have our main fighter able to switch from supporting the rear or the front."

He looked behind to see Neji and Chouji bringing up the rear. It was very key those two remained in the back to watch their flanks as well as form their counterattack should the front get hit.

"Chouji is next as our heavy hitter with Neji bringing up the rear. With his Byakugan, there is no chance the enemy will get around us."

"Consider this a rescue mission where we are the pursuers, watch out for traps. No matter what happens, we have to get Sasuki back!"

"Like we'd let those bastards have Sasuki. Right, Akamaru?" The dog yipped in agreement with Kiba as he exuberantly led from the front.

Just because Naruto was a chunin now didn't mean he would give up his rival or his plan to get Sasuki. Rescuing her was just another way he could pull that off.

"Naruto, you alright?" Shikamaru asked out of concern, the boy had been pretty quiet since they left.

"Shikamaru.." Naruto said in a low tone, making the Nara turn to see Naruto glaring at the forest ahead. "Just shut up and get me to them. I'll take care of the rest."

His tone was a bit frightening and it gave Shikamaru pause. The relationship between him and Sasuki must have been more serious than he thought. One thing was for sure, he definitely did not want to be the enemy right now.

It was quiet for some time as they moved through the forest, but then suddenly Kiba stopped. Shikamaru ordered the platoon to halt and for Neji to come forward and join them on the front branch.

"Neji, use your Byakugan to check up ahead. Kiba thinks he smells them."

The Hyuuga nodded and activated his greater vision to check ahead of them. Sure enough past the next quarter mile sat the enemy squad, four in all. They seemed to be resting around a rather large crate or barrel.

"I see them, four enemy shinobi with a single large barrel."

"Sasuki?" Naruto asked, almost desperate for news.

Neji shook his head.

"I can't see her directly but if I had to say, she must be in the barrel."

"Can't you see inside?" Shikamaru asked.

"Some sort of seal or barrier is protecting it. There is no one else around, its the only logical answer."

They had to accept it with Neji's eyes being the best ones out of all of them. Shikamaru then huddled the group up and discussed a battle plan.

000

An explosion rocked the forest as the Sound Four scattered and reformed around the barrel. The kunai had landed in their midst with intent to distract, not kill. Someone was overconfident and thought to show off, which served to make them even more angry.

After just getting out of a fight in Level two of their curse marks, they were already exhausted. When the enemy revealed themselves to be nothing more than a bunch of genin brats, they heaved a silent sigh of relief.

"Oi, what the hell are a bunch of Konoha brats doing out here?" Sakon asked in a mocking tone.

"We're here to get back someone you took from the village. Hand over the barrel." Shikamaru said in an even tone, standing in the center of their line formation.

"What's a chicken shit like you going to do if we say no?" Tayuya growled, not in the mood for games.

The shinobi stared each other down for a long pause before Shikamaru shouted an order.

"Naruto, now!"

All around them from the trees came dozens of Naruto clones, enough to blot out the sun. With the enemy distracted Shikamaru knelt down and went through hand signs and attached his shadow to all four of the enemies while his comrades retreated to a safe distance.

The clones dissipated leaving only Shikamaru's shadow connected to the rest. Against their will, the sound shinobi were forced to mimic the Nara's standing pose, a dirty grin on his face.

"Shadow possession, success."

Naruto ran forward from behind and leaped over the four enemies. He inspected the barrel for a moment before picking it up and leaping into the air. No matter what he had to get it back to Konoha.

"Shit!" Shikamaru watched them activate their cursed marks and felt his possession's strength leave him.

Naruto sensed their presence from behind and threw the barrel as far as he could. He revealed his sharingan and a kunai before clashing with Sakon, their arms entangled with one another.

"I'm..going to kill..you bastards." Naruto grunted through his teeth, locked in a test of strength.

"Heh..that's what she said too.." Sakon muttered, trying to get a better hand hold.

An illusion from the sharingan froze his thoughts and allowed Naruto to bring a powerful kick to his stomach. It sent them flying apart with Sakon righting himself in midair and the rest of the Sound Four catching up.

Jirobo had grabbed the barrel during the momentary scuffle and handed it to Sakon. He and Kidomaru elected to stay behind to give the other two time to escape.

Neji and Chouji volunteered to face them in order to defeat the enemy and give the rest room to pursue. Just like Shikamaru said, their duty was to get Sasuki back whatever it took.

The genin launched their attack just as Sakon and Tayuya took off, giving Shikamaru and the others time to go after them. It wasn't going to be an easy mission after all; already the team was separated. These were exceptional genin though. They could pull through and win, right?

They had to, because Shikamaru wasn't willing to let their deaths ride on his conscience.

000

"W-what..did you say?" Mikoto stood there, breathless in the Hokage office.

"Sasuki Uchiha left the village last night, after you left. Naruto and his squad have been dispatched to handle the situation." Tsunade tried her best to be objective as possible, but the mother wasn't having it.

Kakashi stood there quietly, absorbing the information. His student had left the village, even after all the work they had put into trying to keep her there. Was there more to it than Tsunade let on, or even knew about? Could Naruto and his team really succeed alone?

"I have to go after them!"

"Mikoto!" They couldn't stop her as she left in a blur, clearly distraught.

The Hokage had hoped to avoid it but at the same time knew that the woman leaving was inevitable. Having all three Uchiha outside the walls was just asking for trouble. She couldn't afford to lose all of them, no matter what the cost was.

"Kakashi, catch up to her and do what you can to help Naruto and his squad. Above all else though, protect Mikoto!"

"Understood!"

The jounin was silently relieved she sent him out, even if it was to just watch over Mikoto. He couldn't leave his students alone, not in a situation like this. If there was anything he could do to talk sense into Sasuki or help Naruto bring her back, then he would do it!

000

_'Sasuki..what the hell are you thinking?! Do you really hate us that much that you would leave the village..just to fulfill your revenge?'_ Mikoto couldn't understand her daughter and that hurt her the most.

She had to salvage the situation before it went any further. There was no way she would allow Orochimaru to have Sasuki, even if she had to defeat her own daughter and bring her back against her will. Mikoto would take whatever punishment she would receive from Tsunade or Sasuki herself, but she would not let Naruto come to harm's way just for her daughter to have revenge.

The words Naruto spoke to her so often were now ringing in her ears, and this time they frightened her. It made her put even more speed into her movement.

"_I'm going to protect both of you, even if it costs me my life. As long as you are both happy, I'm happy."_

000

"Naruto, I'll handle her." Shikamaru muttered, sweat creasing his brow.

Kiba had already joined battle with Sakon to keep him out of their way. All they had left was Tayuya, at least until the last one showed up. Apparently his name was Kimimaro, another servant of Orochimaru.

It didn't matter much to Naruto though.

All that mattered right now was that the bastard had his hands on the barrel holding Sasuki. They were so close and then he came along and took the damn thing from them, again!

"Hold them here Tayuya and perhaps your failure won't be in vain."

"You bastard, Kimimaro. Go straight to hell." The red head shouted back at his relaxed tone.

How dare he insinuate she failed when it was those two idiots, Sakon and Kidomaru? If they had kept to the right schedule..or maybe it was Sasuki's fault for delaying them. Had she come with them willingly, they might have made more progress.

_'Little bitch, if I see her again I'm going to be sure to kick the shit out of her!'_

Kimimaro took the barrel and started heading toward Sound again, leaving Naruto and Shikamaru to watch. They didn't stay idle for long because the blonde leaped after him, intent on stopping any further progress. They had lost enough time and he was tired of being denied.

He was not losing Sasuki, even if he had to die getting her away.

"I don't think so brat!" Tayuya came flying down from a taller branch, leg out to kick him.

Naruto looked up at her, angling his head so she could see his sharingan. She flinched momentarily as a powerful illusion came over her, but he wasn't done. As she passed by him, immobilized, Naruto grabbed her extended leg and spun them both around to gather momentum.

He let her loose into a tree trunk and temporarily incapacitated her. Naruto didn't even stop to check if she was alive or if Shikamaru had caught on to his plan. The only thing on his mind was catching this Kimimaro and killing him.

_'Dammit Naruto..you really love to overdo it.'_ Shikamaru looked down at Tayuya from his position and saw she was quite shaken up from the attack.

Like he said, he did not want to be the enemies that kidnapped Sasuki. It was not going to be pretty when Naruto caught up to the last one.

For now it was time for Shikamaru to stop being a leader and finally just focus on one thing, fighting. Geez, what a drag that was.

000

"Not one more step!"

Kimimaro stopped in a large clearing of grass when Naruto's clones finally encircled him. He realized he would not get the container back in time, which was unfortunate. At the very least he could rid his lord of one more annoyance that plagued him.

Naruto's clones had begun to take on bestial appearances as Kyuubi's chakra began to affect him. The power behind his emotions was starting to affect the way he molded chakra and the seal containing the Kyuubi.

"_**It's about time you listened to me brat. These guys aren't normal, you'll need my power to breeze through."**_

_'I don't care, let's just run him through!'_

With the sharingan, the battle would be tougher than the oto shinobi first imagined it. It did not matter if Naruto had numbers though, and his bone attacks would be unpredictable enough with which his sharingan would be useless. Confident in his abilities, Kimimaro began to push his bones out of his skin to form long blades, jutting from his forearms and back.

"I don't have time for trash like you. Get out of my way." The even tone he used made Naruto even more annoyed.

"Time for you to die!" Naruto's clones charged forward, intent on destroying everything in their way.

For the longest time, Kimimaro continued to hold off Naruto with his powers. Even when his body was so close to breaking, he resisted taijutsu and even ninjutsu—whatever the blonde thought would work seemed to have little effect. Not even Kyuubi's chakra could break through.

The most they had succeeded in doing was force the enemy to activate his curse mark which only served to make things harder. They paused in battle when a chakra surge shot out, it was so powerful that even they as non-sensor shinobi could feel it.

_'So..cold..what the hell is this?'_ Naruto asked himself looking around for the source.

It was the barrel, Sasuki was emerging!

Smoke permeated the battlefield as the container exploded. Her image was distorted but Naruto was sure he could see Sasuki. Something was off though, as if her body had shifted in some way; her hair was longer, nails sharper, skin darker.

Was it a trick of the eyes or had something really happened? What did they do to her?

"Sasuki-" Naruto tried calling out to her, but she leaped away.

Kimimaro smiled, it seemed the seal had consumed her. Now Orochimaru was free to influence her as he pleased. Whatever sentiments the two Konoha shinobi had between one another were over now.

"Sasuki!" Naruto shouted in frustration, but she was gone.

His enemy disappeared in a flash and appeared behind him, bone sword ready to slice through. Naruto tracked him with his sharingan and prepared to counter, kunai ready.

"**Konoha Senpuu!**"

Rock Lee came flying out of nowhere, his kick landing right on Kimimaro's arm. It sent the sound shinobi flying back, only for him to right himself a little ways away. The taijutsu user got into his usual stance with one arm out, palm up.

"Naruto-kun, please leave things here to me. We cannot allow the enemy to take our beloved Sasuki from us!" Naruto couldn't believe Lee had made it, but wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

"Alright then, he's yours."

The blonde made his way past Kimimaro who did not bother to attack. Sasuki would be able to handle herself, besides, he had no doubt this newcomer would have blocked it anyway.

"Now you must deal with the Leaf's Green Beast, Rock Lee. I cannot forgive someone willing to kidnap an innocent girl, so prepare yourself!" Lee prepared his attack and Kimimaro waited patiently.

If this was to be his final battle, then he would make it a bloody one.

000

_Some time later.._

000

"Sasuki!" Naruto was just about out of breath, he had been running after her for what felt like forever.

Finally, she had stopped just short of the border. He knew where they were: the Valley of the End, where the Shodai fought against Madara Uchiha. Naruto now stood on top of Hashirama's statue with Sasuki on Madara's.

Now he got to see what had become of his beloved sister, and he was shocked. The cursed seal had fully taken over her body and made all the changes he had observed through the smoke. Some sort of dark black cross covered the center of her face and those eyes of hers, their darkness seemed to bleed into him. It was like she had nothing but malice to send back to him, but he knew the real Sasuki was in there.

He just had to try and talk to her.

_**'Sasuki-chan..I know you want this power to never stop. All you have to do is kill him. Kill Naruto, and its all yours.'**_

Orochimaru's influence spread over her thoughts, controlling her actions. Sasuki had tried to fight him while she was in the barrel, but she was under excruciating pain not only physically but in her mind. Now she was exhausted and just wanted it to end. Chakra began to encase her right hand and she knew what he wanted her to do.

That was Naruto over there. He came to rescue her, but all he would find was death. Why was he so reckless? He had always been like that, perhaps he needed punishment to show why it was such a bad thing.

Idiots never lived long.

"Sasuki.." Naruto felt her killing intent and saw the chidori build up.

He knew at that moment there was only one thing left to do. If Sasuki was still in there then he had to try, otherwise everything was lost anyway.

She watched as he deactivated his sharingan, confusing her.

"Sasuki..its thanks to you I'm still alive." He smiled, remembering the first day they met back in the academy. "If it wasn't for you, I would have no one to call a family right now. I would be alone."

Silence, he continued on.

"Every time I saw you and Mikoto after that, I knew what I had was special. I learned what love meant and I realized how amazing it felt to be with those you cared about. That's why I promised to protect it, that's why I'm here right now!" Naruto's eyes dropped, his frown deepening.

"That's why..I have to tell you this. Sasuki, you are all I have left. If I lose you to Orochimaru then there isn't any point in living anymore. I would have broken my promise, my ninja way. "

His eyes met hers.

"The only way I will let you leave here is if I die, because I can't kill you." Naruto slumped to his knees, arms to his sides. "If killing me is what will make you happy, then do it!"

Sasuki remembered what Naruto said, that he was willing to give his life as long as she was happy. Was this what he meant? Had he known all along that something like that would happen? The way he was trying to act cool, trying to play on her feelings to make her come back...

It just made her more angry.

How could one boy make her feel so frustrated and conflicted at the same time? If he was so willing to let her kill him, what made him think she wouldn't?

"Dammit..Naruto.." The chidori got louder as she fed chakra to it. "You really are starting to PISS ME OFF!"

_**'Yes Sasuki-chan..use your emotions to finish him. You will gain more power than you could ever imagine by shaking loose this final bond.'**_

Just one final bond to shake loose. That's all Naruto was, right?

Naruto watched as she leaped across the waterfall, headed straight for him. If this was how he would die, the only regret he had was not saving Sasuki. At the very least, Mikoto would have had someone to return home with. Knowing his inability to hurt the girl in front of him, he was powerless.

He would ask for forgiveness before death.

"NARUTO!"

Just one bond, right? One strike from the book of life and she was free of entanglement, right? Thoughts of Mikoto being at home passed through her head; she was waiting for them to return. Sasuki would get more than a scolding at this rate.

All of their friends who bled to bring her back, she'd have to go visit them in the hospital and apologize for the inconvenience.

How annoying.

Worst of all was Shino. That condescending gaze of his she could already envision in her mind, all the way down to the words he would first say when they met again.

_'You caused a lot of trouble for everyone, Sasuki. Is this how Uchiha are supposed to act? I thought you were better than that.'_

What a bastard, thinking himself in a higher moral ground than she. That would be unbearable.

Then what about Naruto? After all this, could she really go on acting like a kid with puppy love when she was around him? They would have to grow up and really own up to their feelings after what happened. She never liked the emotional stuff, it was too soft and annoying to think about. Knowing Naruto, he wouldn't let her get away from it that easily.

Geez, he really was annoying.

But she loved him because of that. The same reasons he drove her insane were the reasons she couldn't stand to be apart from him. Damn Orochimaru and his curse mark, her emotions were stronger than that.

There were too many bonds to shake off after all...and Sasuki couldn't afford to lose any of them!

"Naruto..!" Sasuki shouted, the dark lightning in her hand dissipating. "You really are an idiot!"

Her outstretched palm hit him right in the forehead, the force behind her momentum sent him flying back. Naruto slammed into a tree trunk, painfully stopping his movement.

"Ah.." He groaned in pain, easing himself out of the wood.

Sasuki was in front of him now, the dark chakra slowly receding again. Her body gave way to sudden weakness and he quickly moved to catch her. Without missing a step he swept her into his arms, bridal style.

This scent, she breathed. She never wanted to be separated from it. It was what kept her on the precipice of sanity, what tethered her to the life she suddenly felt was worth living.

As long as she had Naruto then maybe..power wasn't everything.

"Naruto...take me home."

Naruto smiled, tears brimming in the corner of his eyes. The old Sasuki, she was already coming back. Now all that was needed was a good smack over the head for taking too long and they could be off.

Ah, well..he would be willing to wait on that part.

"You got it.."

000

_Some Time Later..._

000

With permission from the Hokage, Mikoto had been authorized to take Sasuki and Naruto on a training trip. It was clear that they needed to get out of Konoha for a while, not only to escape Orochimaru's influence but to find some peace. As long as the Uchiha were in Konoha, there would always be enemies for them to contend with. Not only that, but training Sasuki would be much easier if she only had Naruto to worry about.

Jiraiya tried to put up a case that he should be the one to take Naruto, but Mikoto had a better argument. Naruto had the sharingan with which he needed to train and improve in order to stand any chance against Itachi and Akatsuki. That was something not even the toad sage could help with. They were lucky Mikoto was around, both the village and her children, to be able to help them with it.

That was partly why Tsunade sent them off. The Hokage also believed that, if submerged among only the Uchiha with only training to be done, Sasuki would do quite well for herself. When she returned, _then_ the girl could get the recognition she deserved, but until then she would be in a situation where she wouldn't have to worry about the village and ranks—just her and the rest of her family.

"Naruto, Sasuki. You two ready to go?" Mikoto called from the first floor.

On her back was a backpack fully stuffed with important provisions and training scrolls. The Uchiha had been planning this for quite some time since the Oto shinobi incident. Finally, they could put their little family trip into action.

"Yep." Naruto and Sasuki came walking down together, backpacks on.

They had already told their friends and were ready to say their final goodbyes at the gate. It all felt like it was going so fast, but it was because they were so excited. Mikoto told them they were going to an old Uchiha monument for training for who knew how long. That alone was enough to make them want to go and see something new.

"Let's go, we should leave before noon." They walked out of the Uchiha compound together, not to return for some time.

It was bittersweet, but perhaps it was for the best. When they returned, they would all be very different than how they entered it. Perhaps the peace and quiet would finally let the ghosts rest in peace.

With two and a half years or so, they had a lot of time to think about the future. For now it was just good to be one whole family again. If they could get past Orochimaru then they could get past anything, which was exactly what their training would do. When the Uchiha returned, no one would be able to stand in their way; not Akatsuki, not Orochimaru, not even Konoha.

It was because the Uchiha had each other, and that was all they needed to be strong.

000

Ah, as evil as it is to admit I was kind of amused by some reviews that were only written to tell me not to send Sasuki to Orochimaru. Would it be mean to tell you I planned her to remain from the start? Where would be the buildup in that though? It could be an entertaining story if I sent her away too, just a lot more angst than what I was interested in.

The reason I focused less on the battle with the Sound Four was to show the emphasis of the Sasuki Retrieval was not on the other genin or the fights, but on the emotions of Naruto and Sasuki and Mikoto. Things went about the same as the manga and I know its not fun to reread things like that.

We will now have a proper break until the next chapter, which will be posted in a triple release of my other stories when they are at intermission too.

For now you can go check out my other stories or just go vote in the poll. Both are equally important and possibly fun tasks.

Be sure to review and tell me what you thought. See you next time in Part II!


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